How It All Began- A Hooligan Love Story
by Aryea
Summary: Many people have already done about a story how Astrid and Hiccup got together, so this is just my take on it, My first HTTYD story, hope you enjoy. Rating it T just because as yet I don't know where it is going.
1. Chapter 1

_**I have recently seen How To Train Your dragon 2, and as much as I enjoyed it, I found myself curious about the fact that Hiccup and Astrid were now a couple. I have both seasons of the Riders/defenders of Berk and there are only a few rare instances where they suggest anything more than friends.**_

_**I know many people have written about this same subject, but as the story had been bugging me to write it, I figured I would give it a try and see what happened. This is my first HTTYPD fan fic, so I hope you will enjoy it.**_

_**The characters are not mine.**_

A DISCUSSION AT SUNSET

Astrid socked Hiccup in the arm. "That's for training without me."

"Ow!" Hiccup rubbed his arm and scowled. "I just started talking," he grumbled, which had been mostly the truth.

Actually, Astrid had beaten him and Toothless in yesterday's training exercise; she could be so sneaky sometimes, so he could _possibly_ have decided to push ahead and start the training today before she arrived, out of spite, but he would never admit that.

He waited and when she moved back with the other riders said. "Hey!"

She put her hands on her hips, defiantly. "Yeah?"

"That's three."

"Three what?"

"Three punches."

"So?"

He backpedalled quickly. "I...so...um...nothing." Idiot! He blamed his loose tongue on his lack of sleep the last three nights. "Ah...so...as I was saying today we...we are gonna try..."

"Hiccup." Astrid stepped up to him again and lifted a warning fist. "What is the deal with three punches?"

"Ooh! Ooh! I know!" Tuffnut raised his hand. "Three punches is bad luck on a Sunday."

"Only if you're Hiccup," Snoutlout snorted.

"And it's Friday!" Ruffnut stated.

"Actually it's Tuesday," Fishlegs interceded. "But I don't recall anything in my reading about what three punches signifies."

Hiccup flushed and backed up, almost falling over Toothless who gently straightened him again with a push of his head. "Punches? What punches? Did I say anything about punches?"

Astrid waved her finger at him. "You did and you know I hate it when you don't finish your sentences."

"I...I...was finished. Really. Completely finished. Nothing else to say here, no sir. The mouth well is absolutely...ERK!"

Astrid grabbed him by his tunic and pulled him towards her. "Spill it."

Panic, pure unadulterated panic caused him to confess. "A kiss!"

Her eyes narrowed and she pulled him closer until their faces almost touched me. "A what?"

"U...usually every t...three punches you give me a kiss," he mumbled mortified and low enough that the others couldn't hear him. He closed his eyes and winced. "I am so dead."

"Oh."

Astrid's voice was deceptively calm and Hiccup opened one eye cautiously, saw her slowly smile and winced again, until he felt her lips touch his. His eyes flew open.

"When you're right, you're right." She patted his cheek and released him.

"Are we training today or makin' out?" Snoutlout demanded, then sidled up to Astrid. "Cause if you're giving away kisses I am ready to pucker u...urk!" He stopped talking as Astrid's elbow met his ribs. "Okay, f...fine." He wheezed. "Another time then."

Hiccup took another moment to steady himself, then managed to get on with their lesson. He ran through the exercise verbally and on his large piece of slate, having to stop only four times to repeat himself to Ruffnut and Tuffnut who were, as usual, not 'getting it'.

When they finally mounted up, the in air dynamics of the exercise did not go well. The twins forgot what they were supposed to do and then spent most of the exercise arguing about who forgot what first. Snotlout forged ahead to do his own thing, as usual, which completely threw the other dragons off rhythm, thus ruining the lesson.

They landed back at the academy and the riders set about putting their dragons in their pens, with the exception of Stormfly and Toothless.

"What in the name of Thor was that?" Hiccup demanded angrily. "Am I just talking to myself here? Do any of you pay attention to anything I am saying?"

Astrid slid off Stormfly. "Take it easy, Hiccup..."

"I won't take it easy!" he snapped, frustrated. "We have a job to do! We are supposed to defend Berk!"

"A job?" Tuffnut repeated, confused and looked at his sister. "Huh. I don't remember getting paid, do you? Wait...Maybe I did get paid and spent it all...or," He looked at his sister. "You stole it!"

"I didn't steal your stupid pay!" Ruffnut snapped. "I got my own pay to deal with."

"Wait." Snotlout stepped in. "You guys get paid?" To Hiccup. "How come they get paid and I don't? I'm more valuable than they are and deserve way more pay!"

"None of us get paid!" Astrid stated. "We all _agreed_ to do this remember? We're the dragon riders and it's our duty to defend Berk."

"My only duty is eating," Tuffnut stated. "And sleeping, and hitting my sister. Aside from that I really don't recall agreeing to do anything else."

"Why do you think we've been training for the last three years?"

"Dude!" Ruffnut raised her hand. "Do we win a prize if we guess right?"

"Did your mother drop you as babies or something?" Snotlout smirked.

"Hey! Don't talk about our mother!"

"Actually, she did drop us a few times, remember when..."

"Enough!" Hiccup cried and through his hands up again. "Training is done for the day, go be stupid somewhere else!"

"Hey! Don't call him stupid!" Ruffnut defended.

"He wasn't calling me stupid," Tuffnut sneered. "He was calling you stupid, stupid."

Ruffnut punched her brother in the gut. "You're stupider than I am!"

Tuffnut punched Ruffnut. "No one is stupider than you are!"

"Thor save me from these idiots!" Hiccup, surprising everyone, shoved the twins apart. "Go! Get out of here! Go bury your heads in the sand and let Alvin burn Berk to the ground because you can't manage a single coherent thought together between you!"

"Hiccup!" Astrid stared at him shocked, even as Snotlout stepped up to Hiccup and put a hand on his shoulder

"Yeah, we're better off without them anyway. You really only need me because no one is better than me and..."

Hiccup slapped Snotlout's hand away. "Yeah? Where will you be when Dagur returns with his armada to kill our dragons? We'd be better of letting you fight with him than with us, because with your arrogance and recklessness on his side we might have a fighting chance!"

"Yeah, for sure...wait. Did you just call me a traitor?"

"No, I'm calling you useless!"

Snotlout balled up his fist. "Say it again, peg-boy, and we'll see if Gobber can fix you up with metal teeth too!"

Fishlegs stepped in between them. "Guy's stop. We're not supposed to fight amongst ourselves. We need to conserve our energy for the real enemies."

Astrid nodded. "Fishlegs is right. We all need take a step back and cool off."

"Right, now it's the twin's turn to patrol tonight, so..."

Hiccup waved his hand at Fishlegs and climbed back up on Toothless. "We'll do it."

"Alone?" Astrid asked, concerned.

"Why not? At least Toothless and I won't be arguing or looking at ourselves when the raiders sail into Berk." He took to the air and soon disappeared from view.

"So...uh...does that mean we can go home now?" Ruffnut asked, tentatively.

Astrid sighed and lowered her gaze from the sky. "Sure."

"Excellent!" Tuffnut grinned as he started walking towards town. "Now I can go spend my pay."

"Not before I spend mine!" His sister retorted, shoving him.

"Just don't try to yours where I spend mine!"

"I'll spend mine where I want!"

"No you won't!"

"Yes I will!"

They clanged heads as they disappeared over the hill.

When Toothless slapped at Hiccup with his ear because his rider failed to adjust the wind tail until the last second and almost smashed them into one of the giant rocks off the shores of Berk, Hiccup relented and pulled back. He had pushed his dragon as if trying to purge the anger and frustration from himself with intense speed and dangerous manoeuvres.

"Sorry, bud." Hiccup adjusted his metal foot to fan the tail out further as he turned back towards the island. "My head's not in the game tonight."

They landed atop their favourite cliff, the highest point on Berk at the other side of the island. This was his thinking spot. He slid off Toothless and absently rubbed the dragon's neck. Toothless rumbled deep in his throat and nudged Hiccup, concerned.

"I don't know what's wrong with me lately," he admitted as he dropped down close to the edge of the cliff and Toothless sat beside him. It wasn't just the twins and Snotlout, he was used to their nonsense and he didn't know why he got so angry with them. "I'm not sleeping well, and when I do I have these...these dreams." He shook his head again and plucked at the grass around him. "Really, really vivid dreams of Astrid and me and..."

He heard the familiar purring of his dragon and turned to see Toothless rolling around in the grass. "Hey!"

Toothless, still on his back, dropped the top of his head to the ground and stared at Hiccup upside down.

"Thanks for nothing, you useless reptile."

Hiccup turned back to the sea and his thoughts strayed to Astrid. They seemed to always be on Astrid lately and he couldn't understand it. Of course, she was a fantastic person, so brave, and fierce and beautiful. Almost all the young men on Berk 'thought' about Astrid and he was certainly no different.

Lately though, he'd been having nightmares of her being kidnapped by Alvin or Dagur. Or a dream where the Screaming Death returned to Berk and tunnelled up through Astrid's home first, consuming her with her house. The worse, oddly enough, was where she was knocked from her dragon and he and Toothless had not been in time to stop her hitting the ground. He blamed Snotlout for that one.

She was the only one of the dragon riders that he spent personal time with outside of training. She and Stormfly often went flying with him and Toothless to explore the islands they hadn't been to before in search of a new breed of dragon. She understood his compulsion for the flying reptiles and didn't hold it against him.

Sometimes they went fishing, or he would help her collect herbs for Gothi, and they would usually end up working together on repairing a home, or boat or deck in the village. They always sat together for lunch in the Great Hall, along with the other riders of course. Astrid was his closest friend next to Toothless. She was basically his Right Hand at the Dragon Academy and he knew that he could count on her for anything, that she would always have his back. He wasn't always as sure of the others.

Maybe that was part of the reason he was having nightmares. Defending Berk was a big responsibility. He didn't want to let his father down or fail the people he cared about. He didn't want to see his home destroyed because he couldn't protect Berk properly. He wanted to trust his team, and he did, for the most part, because when the chips were down they usually came through.

His father had said that you couldn't always be a good leader and a good friend, so maybe it was time he made the choice. They just wouldn't listen to him in training, they treated it as a joke and it wasn't. Sometimes, they made him feel like he was nothing again, back to being the old Hiccup, who no one listened to or wanted to be around; not even his father.

A sound behind him alerted to the arrival of another rider, but he didn't bother to look around. He knew the subtle sound of Stormfly's wings. And why did he know that? Because he paid attention and remembered what he learned!

Astrid slid off of her dragon, glanced at Toothless who was now sitting up and staring at Hiccup morosely. She scratched his head then settled down next to her friend. "Are you okay?"

"Fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"How do you know what I should or shouldn't sound like?" he snapped and immediately regretted it when he saw the hurt in her eyes. He dropped his head into his hands. "Sorry. I...I'm sorry. I didn't mean that."

"What is it, Hiccup? You don't usually let Ruffnut and Tuffnut get to you this much." She put her hand on his arm. "And even when you're frustrated and angry you're never mean."

"I didn't mean the things I said." He caught Astrid's knowing gaze. "Okay, maybe I meant them, but I didn't mean to say them."

"It's okay, they've probably forgotten about by now."

"Snotlout won't."

"Well, we'll worry about him later."

He glanced at her, liked the way she said 'we'. She'd been doing that for awhile now, he realized, taking on his problems and making them her own. Ever since the day she found out about Toothless she'd been there by his side, offering her help, her advice. She didn't always agree with him, of course, but she always trusted him and would lead where he followed.

Why did she do that? Why would she trust him? For so long she had acted like she couldn't stand him, then, one day, everything just changed and they became friends. He was glad they were friends, but having gone friendless for so long it still took some getting used to.

"Do I have something in my teeth?" she asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Hiccup realized he was still staring at her and quickly looked away. "Um...no. Sorry."

They sat there in silence for awhile as the sun started to set.

"This is a nice spot," she decided, shivering slightly as the air started to cool. "I don't think I've ever really taken the time to watch the sun set."

"Toothless and I do it every night, when we can. He likes the colours I think."

They watched the sky turn a deep azure blue, as the sun seemed to dip into the ocean. Then the clouds gently feathered into soft levels of magenta, with a burning orange at their base.

"It's beautiful," she said and shivered again.

Hiccup glanced at her and frowned. "Are you cold, Milady?"

Astrid shrugged, she loved it when he called her that. "Just a little."

Should he put his arm around her to conserve body warmth? No, she might punch him. However if she punched him she might also kiss him again. Uggg! This was all very confusing.

They were both startled as two enormous black wings came around them, blocking the wind that had picked up, but not their view of the setting sun.

Astrid slid closer to him and grinned when, after a moment's hesitation, he put his arm around her. She liked the way Hiccup smelled, not the sour or fishy stench so many others in the village had, Hiccup always smelled like...well like, the breeze she supposed. Clean, clear, fresh. Maybe it was because he flew around so much on Toothless.

She smiled up at Toothless, such a smart boy, then leaned against Hiccup, causing him to push back into his dragon's warm body.

"Much better."

"Thanks, bud," Hiccup whispered to the Night Fury. Toothless purred, obviously thrilled to have his two favourite people cocooned against him.

Stormfly stood next to Toothless and spit out a ball of fire, followed by a plasma blast from Toothless, each shot barrelling over and across the water below. The effect of the changing colours in the sky and the dragon fire was dazzling.

"Hmmm," Astrid sighed. "Maybe Stormfly and I should start doing this every night too."

"Toothless and I would love the company," he assured easily.

"Hiccup?"

"Hmmm?"

"Do you...Does it bother you?"

"Does what bother me?"

"When I punch you, sometimes."

"Not really."

"Because every third one you get a kiss?" she teased and could feel the heat in his face without needing to see it.

"That certainly doesn't hurt."

She smiled and moved closer. "This is nice," she sighed as the stars began to appear in the sky above them and the sun had almost disappeared into the ocean. "We haven't really been alone like this since the first time you took me riding on Toothless."

Hiccup considered her words. "We have been pretty busy," he admitted, thinking of all the trials they had gone though recently.

Between dragon training, repairing the village from damage caused by rogue dragons, freak storms, Whispering Deaths, and marauding outcasts they were lucky they'd gotten any down time at all. But that was part of what made living on Berk so interesting, there was rarely a dull moment.

Once the sun had set and twilight was fully upon them, he realized that he should probably get back to patrol. He didn't want to go, he'd much prefer to stay there with Astrid snuggled against him, but someone needed to be on the lookout for raiders.

He started to move and heard Astrid mumble as she woke. He hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep.

"Sorry," he offered as Toothless pulled back his wings. "It's getting late and Toothless and I need to patrol."

Astrid smiled, stretched and accepted his hand up. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, it was just so comfortable."

"Yeah." Hiccup rubbed the top of Toothless' head. "He can be a real snuggle bear when he wants to."

She grinned and hopped up on Stormfly. "Do you want some company on patrol?"

"Nah, we'll be okay."

"Okay then." She nodded. "So, same time tomorrow?"

Hiccup stared at her. "Huh?"

"To watch the sunset. You said you wouldn't mind the company."

She'd been serious? She wanted to watch the sunset with him? To share it with _him_? Hiccup felt his heart almost leap out of his chest. "Um...yeah. Sure. Same time would be fine." Fantastic actually!

"We'll be here and this time I'll grab us some food since we missed dinner."

"Yeah! Sure." Oh my Freaking Gods! "Sounds...great."

With a wave she and Stormfly flew off.

Hiccup ran his hands over Toothless' neck. "Well, what do you make of that, Bud?"

Toothless released a sound of discontent and deliberately turned his back on Hiccup.

"Hey! Hey!" Hiccup walked around to try and face the dragon but the Toothless simply turned his back on him again. "What, was it the snuggle bear reference?"

Toothless bopped Hiccup on the head with his front foot.

"Toothless!" He rubbed his head. "What is it? What did I do?"

The dragon rolled his eyes and released several aggrieved sounds.

Hiccup finally figured it out. "Aww, Toothless. I know this is our special time, but I thought you liked Astrid?"

Toothless rumbled a firm agreement.

Hiccup got in front of the dragon again and this time the Night Fury did not turn away. "So what's the problem?"

Toothless released another series of sounds, bobbing his head emphatically.

"Okay! Okay. I should have asked you first. But I didn't think you'd mind."

Another sound of scolding annoyance.

"Okay! Okay, fine!" Hiccup waved his arms at the dragon frustrated. "Toothless, can Astrid and Stormfly watch the sunset with us in the evenings?"

Toothless paused then nodded regally.

"Good, so can you stop pouting so we can go on patrol?"

Toothless licked him.

"Ahhhh! You know that doesn't wash out!"

Astrid slid down off Stormfly, gave her a good rub down and a special extra treat of chicken, then gave the dragon the signal for bed and Stormfly headed into the side cottage she and her uncle had built to house the large reptile.

She stepped inside her own house with a grin as wide as the sea and fairly skipped up the stairs to her room. Her uncle was away this week with the fishermen, which was good because then she wouldn't have to explain to him why she was packing a special meal to take out tomorrow evening. He might get the wrong idea, and after all, it was only Hiccup.

Watching the sunset with him had been amazing, almost as exhilarating as when he flew her into the clouds on Toothless that first time. Gods! Had it really been almost three years since that had happened? Time really flew when you were flying with dragons.

She chuckled at her own joke and moved to her bedroom window to stare out at the stars. She spotted a familiar shape dart across the sky and felt her heart skip a beat. Would she ever get used to how magnificent Hiccup looked when he was riding Toothless? So brave and strong; perhaps not in the traditional Viking way, but she'd learned to let go of some the age old traditions and think outside the box.

Hiccup was definitely outside the norm for a Viking and for a long time she shared everyone else's view that he would only ever be a disappointment, a reject and not a real Viking. Even Stoick, his own father, had issues with his son being so very different from everyone else. Luckily all that changed when Hiccup found Toothless.

She could admit that she'd always been kind of drawn to Hiccup, in an odd, sympathetic sort of way. The way one might be drawn to a helpless sheep, or a strange bug they had never seen before. Hiccup was always trying to prove himself, she understood that too, for she had been the same way. Only, for Hiccup, his trials had been less than successful. Still, that never stopped him from trying, and she'd admired that about him.

Everything changed the day she had followed him and learned of his training a dragon. She'd witnessed what Gothi had called 'the birth of a leader' when Hiccup decided to go against his father's wishes and followed them to Dragon Island. There, Astrid witnessed a boy that had appeared helpless show more courage than a hundred Vikings. She'd learned that what she and others had mistaken for weakness had been intellect, strength and compassion. Most of all, she learned that Hiccup was not cursed, but gifted, for he could befriend dragons, and that had changed everything.

Once an outcast, now Hiccup was respected among the people of Berk, respected by his father, the Chief of Berk. He had friends and people who loved him, who counted on him and he'd finally found his role in life. And she respected him, probably more than anyone, because he never stopped being who he was. He never gave in to the peer pressure or the demands of being the Chief's kid. He had found the ability to properly utilize his creative genius to aid the people of Berk, instead of hindering them and, in many ways, had become a hero to them, a legend. She smiled, and realized that despite the fame, the respect, the people trying to kill him or exploit his skills, he was, in the end, still just Hiccup.

She moved away from the window and wrapped her arms around herself, dropped back onto her bed. He'd held her tonight, really held her. Sure, she'd had to give him a little nudge, with the help of Toothless, to put his arm around her, but if that was only because, also like so many of the other Vikings, Hiccup was a gentleman. He wasn't pushy or disgusting like Snotlout or timid and obtuse like Fishlegs. Not that she would ever consider dating either of them, but she liked that Hiccup made no assumptions on their friendship.

She rose and absently started to unwind the braid in her hair as doubt crept into her thoughts. Should she have intruded on him tonight, and his time with Toothless? She knew the Night Fury was Hiccup's best friend and maybe he hadn't appreciated a girl intruding on their time? No, he seemed pleased when she suggested doing it again tomorrow night and Toothless keeping them warm, well obviously the dragon didn't mind at all.

She thought about how flustered Hiccup had looked at the academy when he brought up her punching him. It had actually been kind of cute, the way he stuttered about it. She'd never realized that she punched him and kissed him in a pattern; which was also kind of cute that he had noticed. It surprised her that he'd spoken up when he hadn't gotten the kiss. That had to mean something right?

She reached for her brush and started to slide it through her hair. It was getting longer and she had decided to let it grow so she could have more fun styling it. For years she had never cared about what her hair looked like, so had kept it shorter than the other girls, always tying it in a braid down her back instead of wearing it front like Ruffnut. Long hair got in the way when you were fighting, so it was better to keep it back. But lately she found herself more concerned about her looks than beating something bloody; she supposed that meant she was becoming a woman.

Not quite sure how she felt about that, she stared at herself in the small wall mirror. She was shorter than most of the other girls her age; she smirked. But she was still taller than Hiccup. She was stronger than him as well, physically anyway, but he didn't seem to mind that. A lot of boys were intimidated by her, Hiccup included, but she knew that he knew that she would never really hurt him, and that made the occasional punch or tackle more a form of play than violence. At least, she hoped he saw it that way. If she added the occasional kiss that was just to give him a clue of how much she like him.

Was it was intimidation that had kept him from ever making a move on her? Giving him a shove, a punch to the gut; a bucket to the head or trying to knock him from the sky during training were all signs of genuine affection; for a Viking anyway, but he never reciprocated, not physically anyway.

He might show her up in training sometimes, okay most times, but that was only because he understood she liked a challenge. He 'got' her the way no one else ever did and he never, ever, held back in a competition or test; not the way the other boys had and even now sometimes did. They were only trying to impress her or get into her favour by not doing their best, because despite her reputation, many still saw her as a girl and someone who couldn't beat their best. Hiccup was different. He pushed her to be better because he knew how good she was, and how much better she could be.

She sat down on her bed again and sighed, wishing her mother was still alive to talk to about these things. She couldn't really be sure if Hiccup liked her the way she liked him and it would certainly help to get another opinion. She didn't know how to be like the other girls who flirtted with a boy without throwing up. What was the point in that nonsense, anyway? Even the stuff that Snotlout came up with turned her stomach. Surely that wasn't the only way to get a boy's attention, to make a fool of yourself and spout nonsense?

Well, no sense worrying about it tonight. She would get to sleep and get up early to run some personal manoeuvres with Stormfly. Maybe she'd go visit Gerti, the old woman was the wisest of all of them, surely she could lend some insight on what a girl was to do in her situation


	2. Breakfast and Bedtime

_Well, I really don't know where this is all coming from, but every time I try to lay down to sleep, Hiccup starts having a conversation with someone and I have to get up to write it so I can actually get back to sleep. If you are enjoying it, please review. Thank you. HTTYPD does not belong to me, but boy I wish I had a Toothless of my very own. _

* * *

CHAPTER TWO

The following morning, Astrid returned from her early ride on Stormfly and headed to the Great Hall for breakfast. She was in a relatively good mood, until she spotted her team, Fishleggs, Snotlout, Ruffnut and Tuffnut at their usual table, along with Hiccup of course, and also Ilsa Jorgenson.

She had disliked Ilsa almost since birth and the girl had always poked fun at Astrid's 'manly' ways. Ilsa's family had been the ones who had started the ridicule about the Hofferson family, after her uncle Fin had frozen in the presence of the deadly Flightmare, and failed to kill the beast.

It wasn't until recently that she and Hiccup discovered her uncle had not been a coward, which was the worst charge that could be levelled against a Viking, but that he had been paralyzed by a misting venom spewed by the horrifying Flightmare. However, Astrid had still lived for years with that cowardly stigma attached to her family name, thanks in large part to the Jorgenson's.

The young men of the village fell over themselves to impress Ilsa, who was tall, voluptuous and stunningly beautiful. All except Hiccup who, thankfully, was more interested in dragons than preening Viking females.

She selected a plate and some food, then headed towards her friends and tried not to scowl at the pretty eighteen year old seated next to Hiccup, which was Astrid's usual place.

"Is it true that Toothless can go really, really fast?" Ilsa was asking the Chief's son. "Faster than lightening even?"

Hiccup shook his head. "I don't think he goes quite that fast."

"Actually, Night Furies are noted for being the fastest dragon on record." Fishleggs began. "In fact, they..."

Ilsa ignored the larger Viking and turned back to Hiccup. "I'd love to see how fast he can go." She squeezed Hiccup's arm. "Maybe you could take me for ride sometime."

"I...ah...well, Toothless isn't really fond of...of other riders." Hiccup's eyes landed on Astrid, almost in relief. "Good morning, Astrid. Did you sleep well?"

Astrid settled across from them. "Good. You?"

"Actually, I..."

"You've taken Hofferson on Toothless," Ilsa interrupted, sparing Astrid a scornful glance. "I've seen it, so why can't you take me?"

"Well...uh...that's because Toothless knows Astrid and..."

"Hiccup doesn't have time for joy rides, Isla," Astrid advised, firmly. Ilsa reminded her way to much of Heather, who had made a play for Hiccup's affections in order to steal his book of Dragons for Alvin the Treacherous. "We all have a lot of work to do at the Dragon Academy."

Ilsa glared across the table at the blond girl, then smoothed down her long, dark hair, she never braided it because she didn't do any warrior training. "Well, maybe I can become a dragon rider too?" She took Hiccup's fork from his hand, pierced some of his eggs, and then held it to his lips. "Do you give private lessons?"

Hiccup stared her offering, slightly appalled."Um..."

"I'll be happy to give you a ride on Hookfang," Snotlout offered, practically drooling in his plate. "And as many lessons as you'd like on how to ride a dragon."

"I'd rather drink Hofferson's Yaknog," Ilsa tossed, ignoring Astrid's growl of warning. She waved Hiccup's fork in front of his face. "Aren't you hungry?"

Finally, manners won over embarrassment and, hoping she'd give him his fork back if he took a bite, Hiccup opened his mouth to accept the eggs.

"Hiccup lost is leg not his hand, Ilsa. He can still feed himself."

"Why don't you go play with your axe or something," Ilsa sneered at Astrid. "And leave such things to us women." She picked up another forkful, much to Hiccup's chagrin. "Not a girl who plays at being a man."

Astrid rose furious, her hands curling into fists. "This girl fights like a man too, wanna try me?"

"Woo Hoo! girl-fight!" Tuffnut cried across the hall.

"Tuffnut, please!" Hiccup leapt to his feet and held out his hands, peaceably. "Astrid, why don't you and I head to the academy and get ready for today's lesson?"

"I've got a lesson here to finish first!"

"But, you haven't finished your breakfast yet, Hiccie-poo."

Hiccup looked so appalled that Astrid almost laughed, despite her anger.

"Uh...no. No, I'm...I'm good." He tried to back up as Ilsa moved closer, but he wound up knocking against one of the large support beams.

Astrid watched, livid, as Ilsa leaned down and whispered in his ear, making poor Hiccup go every shade of red.

"Uh...I...I...Uh..."

"Leave him alone, Ilsa."

"Why?" She laughed and wound her arm through Hiccup's playfully. "He's enjoying it."

Astrid rounded the table. "Your choice, remove your hands or I'll remove them, permanently."

"Astrid!" Hiccup stepped between them and put his hands out, peaceably. He didn't know what had got into his friend, but frankly she was embarrassing them both by making such a scene. "Let's just go and...

Ilsa was taller than Astrid by several inches and easily outweighed her, but everyone knew the Hofferson girl's reputation on the battlefield, and so she stood directly _behind_ Hiccup, thinking it would save her.

"You're just proving my point, Hofferson. They should put you in a pen with the dragons!"

"Not helping! So not helping!" Hiccup groaned.

"What's she going to do?" Ilsa defied, foolishly as she ruffled Hiccup's hair. "She'd have to go through you, her little pet, first and..." Ilsa's next words were knocked out of her as Astrid shoved Hiccup out of the way and tackled her.

"Uh...yeah, did I mention that Astrid hits me all the time?" Hiccup managed as Fishleggs picked him up off the floor.

"Fight! Fight!" The twin's chanted, causing more people to gather near.

"The winner gets to go out with me," Snotlout offered flexing his arms. "And a kiss!"

"Again! Not helping!" Hiccup cried as he tried to pry Astrid off the screaming girl. "Fishleggs! Little help here!"

"Oooh...Oohh, I don't know, Hiccup." Fishleggs wrung his hands. "Getting between Astrid and...well, anything is like getting between Meatlug and her rocks!"

"Oh for..." Hiccup was tossed to the side again in the ensuing failing of female limbs. It was times like this he wished he wasn't just a Hiccup. "Astrid, stop!"

Stoick entered the hall amid Ilsa's screams, Astrid's war cries and the crowd's cheers.

"Oh, crap." Hiccup watched his father storm across the hall as Astrid and Ilsa rolled across the floor.

"What in the name of Thor?" Stoick scowled at Hiccup. "Is this your doing?"

"I was just having breakfast!"

"Well, let's break it up before Astrid does permanent damage to that girl." Stoick plucked the two girls up, tossed Astrid at Hiccup and Ilsa to one of the older Vikings. "Enough!"

Hiccup caught Astrid around the waist and had to work hard to keep her from flying at Ilsa again.

"What's this all about?" Stoick demanded.

"They're fighting over Hiccup," Ruffnut announced. "I think it should let it be to the death."

Hiccup gaped at her, stunned. "Ruffnut!" He turned his attention to the squirming Astrid. "Stop. Astrid, stop this!"

"I'm gonna kill her! Lemmie go! Lemmie get my hands on her!"

"You stupid pile of sheep dung!" Ilsa screamed. "You'll grow old and alone because you don't know how to be a woman!"

"Wait! Which one was the winner?" Snotlout pursed his lips in a kiss.

"Shut up, Snotlout!" Hiccup barked.

"This is done! We do not fight amongst ourselves! " At least not without good reason, Stoick added silently, or proper weapons. He held out his hands in warning. "Hiccup, take Astrid outside, let her cool off."

Hiccup managed to contain Astrid until they got outside, and because Toothless was waiting there, he shoved her onto the Night Fury's back and swung up behind her to keep her there. "Fly, boy!" he said.

"Put me down!" Astrid demanded angrily. "I want Stormfly! Put me down, Toothless!"

The dragon crooned, concerned but continued to fly where his rider directed, which was straight up through the clouds, much like he had the first time she had ridden him.

"I don't want to be up here! Take us down! Hiccup!"

"Not until you calm down!" he ordered and flinched when she elbowed him in the gut. "Ouch! You can beat on me all you want, but we're not going back until this is out of your system!"

Astrid rigidly clamped her mouth shut, but she couldn't maintain her anger around the splendour of the clouds, or the sweetness of the memory of her first time flying among them. She felt her hand stay upwards of its own volition to trail through the fluffy mists.

"I don't like to be in front," she murmured quietly.

"Okay." Hiccup carefully helped her to crawl around and settle behind him. "Better?"

"Yeah." She crossed her arms in front of her chest, determined to stay angry, but ended up giving in to the impulse she usually had when riding with him.

Hiccup released a small sigh of relief as he felt her arms slide around his waist. It was strange to think of how surprised he had been the first time she had hugged him like this; that first time he had taken her on Toothless almost two years ago. Now, it seemed odd to have her behind him and _not_ have her holding him. He knew she didn't need to, she trusted him and she trusted Toothless, and she had an amazing sense of balance so could stay on relatively easily without using him as an anchor. He supposed it had just become a habit, for both of them. One he was grateful for.

They rode in silence for several minutes, and when Hiccup was reasonably sure Astrid was back to herself, he set down on their usual spot on the cliff overlooking Berk.

The moment they were on the ground she punched him. "That's for kidnapping me!"

"Ow!" Hiccup rubbed his shoulder. "What! What was I supposed to do? Let you beat Ilsa to a pulp?"

"It was an option!"

"No, it really wasn't." He ran his hands through his hair. "What...What was that? Why did you fly at her like that?" He knew Astrid had a temper, they had all been on the receiving end of it several times, but he had never, never seen her lose her cool like that.

Astrid remained silent.

"Astrid!"

Astrid crossed her arms over her chest and moved towards the edge to look out over the sea. "I suppose you think she's pretty."

"Who?"

"Ilsa."

"Oh, well...sure, I guess she is."

Astrid rounded on him. "Well why didn't you kidnap her then? You two could be flying off into the sunset."

"I don't think anyone can actually fly _into_ the sunset, there'd be major burn..."

"You know what I mean! You and she could be...be...watching the sunset, together!"

"I..." Hiccup stared at her confused. Watching the sunset was their thing, his and Astrid's and their dragons. "_Why_ would I do that?"

"Because you think she's pretty!"

He scratched his head and tried to figure out where this was going. "Oh...kay."

"So you are going to take her for a ride?"

"What? No!" He touched her arm, beseechingly. "Astrid..."

Astrid shrugged him off. "Don't you do it!" she growled, savagely. "Don't you dare take her up on Toothless, Hiccup or I...I'll..." She broke off, alarmed to find herself close to tears. Dear Gods, what was wrong with her? She quickly turned away so he wouldn't see her weakness.

"I wasn't going to!" he assured quickly.

"Promise?" Astrid lifted her chin but didn't turn back to him. "Promise you'll she'll never ever ride on Toothless."

"Uh...sure, well, unless she's stranded and we need to rescue her, in which case she might actually have to be on Toothless..."

She spun around and glared at him venomously.

"Okay!" He threw up his hands. "If that happens I'll let someone else rescue her, or let her fall into the sea and drown! Okay? Better?" When she turned her back on him he ran his hand over his face. "Will you _please_ tell me what this was all about, why you tried to dismember that poor girl and why you're effectively turning me into a murderer by proxy?"

"She deserved it. She made me mad!"

"What did she do to make you so mad?"

"Nothing. Forget it. It doesn't matter."

"It obviously does or you wouldn't have tried to rip her throat out." He stepped closer and touched her shoulder again. "Tell me what upset you, Astrid. Please?"

She shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Hey? I thought we were friends?"

"We are." He was her best friend, more than that really. How could he even doubt how much she cared about him, or how close they were?

"Then talk to me." He squeezed her shoulder. "It couldn't just be because she teased you about your looks, because everyone knows you're the prettiest girl in the village."

"Really?" She turned, stunned. "Do you really believe that?"

Suddenly feeling trapped he tried to shrug off his comment. "Who am I to argue with an entire village?"

Astrid narrowed her eyes. "So you don't think I'm pretty?" Wait! What was she saying? What did she care who thought she was pretty or not? She had more important things to think about than what other people thought about her. "I...I mean, what I mean is...Look, that wasn't why Ilsa made me angry."

"Good, because you should never let that stuff bother you, Astrid."

"Right. No, it wasn't that. Not really." She heard her mouth run away again before she could stop it. "You...don't see me that way do you?" Gods! What had happened to the filter between her brain and her mouth?

"What way?"

"You know..." She looked everywhere but at him. "Like Snotlout."

"Trust me, you look nothing like Snotlout."

That wasn't quite the response she had been looking for. Why was she even looking for a response, any response? Why were they even talking about this? And yet, she was curious. "Then how do you see me?"

He shrugged. "I see you as Astrid, how else?"

She supposed that was a compliment, coming from Hiccup anyway.

"So that _was_ what upset you?"

"No."

"Then in the name of Thor what was it?"

"She said...she said...she called you my...my pet, Hiccup! She patted you on the head like you were a...a sheep or...or a yak or something!"

Hiccup blinked and then laughed.

"It isn't funny!"

"Astrid, trust me, I've been called much worse." He grinned and lightly nudged her shoulder with his own. "Besides, just like any self respecting yak, or dragon for that matter, I'd do just about anything for a good head scratch."

His teasing worked and she felt her lips twitch in a smirk. "Oh really?"

"Absolutely!" He leaned his head towards her. "Wanna try?"

Tentatively she reached out her hand, ran it through his beautiful, thick, spiky hair and gave him a quick scratch. She laughed when he dropped to the ground spread eagle on his back with an euphoric look.

"Oh yeah, that's the good stuff."

Toothless, witnessing the scene, stepped forward, sniffed him, then lifted his head to Astrid and pushed against her hand. She gave him a scratch as well and he playfully flopped over as Hiccup had done, with his tongue hanging out and his legs curled in the air making Astrid howl with laughter.

"See?" He winked his approval at Toothless, before looking back up at Astrid. "Putty in your hands, milady." He sat up, reached for her hand and pulled her down with him.

Astrid folded her legs to the side and smiled as Toothless rolled onto his stomach and rested his head on her knees. She caressed his head affectionately.

"We're both suckers for a pretty girl," Hiccup admitted, shyly.

Astrid felt her heart turn over in her chest and, before she could stop herself, she plunged her fingers through Hiccup's hair again. "You're hair is getting long."

"Yeah, Dad wants me to grow it long enough for a braid, but all that hair just isn't me."

"Oh, you could probably still braid it." She moved closer, selected a few hairs from the nape of his neck and tried to form them into a tiny plait. "Doesn't have to be a long one, you know."

She was so focused on her task that she missed how intently Hiccup was staring at her, as well as the sly grin on Toothless, who had lifted his head and was watching them both. She was so incredibly beautiful, and strong and vivacious, Hiccup thought. Girl's like Ilsa couldn't hold a candle to Astrid Hofferson; how could she not know that?

After the third time trying to get the braid to stay, she huffed. "Okay, so maybe you can grow it a little bit more." She touched the top of his shoulder. "To here would be enough I think, and..." She paused as she realized how closely both boy and dragon were watching her. "What?"

Rather than reveal all the thoughts and emotions that were swirling around in his head and heart at that moment, Hiccup returned to their earlier subject. "Take it from someone who's been the village joke for most of his life, Astrid, don't take what anyone says personally."

"I usually don't," she sighed as Toothless closed his eyes and started to purr when she returned her caress to him. "It's just..." She shrugged, unable, or perhaps ashamed to put her feelings into words.

"Just?"

"What people said about you before was...well, before, and it isn't the same now. She has no respect for you, or for me. She...She just wants the status of...of..." She flushed again.

"Of?" he prompted.

"Of being the chief's daughter-in-law!"

"Oh!" Hiccup flushed. "Well, I doubt she really wants that."

"Why?"

"Well, because she'd have to...to... marry me."

"So?"

"Because, she'd have to marry _me_." He emphasized and gestured to himself. "All of me, Astrid. No girl in her right mind would do that."

"There is nothing wrong with you!"

"Except that I am a hiccup, and have a peg leg, and am obsessed with dragons."

"None of that is a bad thing."

"None of it is a very good thing either."

"It is! All of it is. Hiccup, you're amazing and any girl would be lucky to have you. You deserve a wife who will honor and respect you and shower you with..." She broke off, realizing she had said too much, far too much and from Hiccup's expression he agreed.

"Um...awkward," he murmured as she quickly rose.

"I just meant..." she began. "I didn't...You would only..." Odin, give her strength!

"Um...How about we just forget about Ilsa and...everything and um...Toothless!" He stood up, encouraging his dragon to do the same. "We should...um...probably get to the academy, everyone will be waiting."

He climbed up and when Astrid didn't immediately follow he knew that she was as embarrassed as he was. He offered her his hand. "Time to get to work, Milady."

She allowed him a small smile, accepted his hand and hopped up behind him, where she lightly punched him in the arm. "That's for making us late." Then she shyly kissed his cheek.

"For everything else?" he smiled and she nodded, wrapping her arms around him.

""Hey, Astrid?"

"Yeah?"

"You can...um...braid my hair anytime you like."

She grinned and ran her fingers through his hair playfully. "Oh yeah?" she teased, unaware at the way Hiccup closed his eyes, or the pure rapture on the boy's face, caused by such a simple touch. "Careful what you wish for."

Hiccup opened his eyes again and wet his lips. "Right. Let's fly, Toothless."

* * *

Hiccup, in the throes of another nightmare, bolted awake in his bed with a strangled cry.

Toothless, who had been sleeping on his pad, was beside him instantly and nudging him with concern.

"It's okay, boy." Hiccup wiped the sweat from his face and tried to slow his breathing. His heart felt like it was going to rip through his chest. "It's just a dream. Just another stupid dream."

Toothless murmured soothingly and Hiccup fell back to stare up at the ceiling beams.

What a day. First the fight at breakfast, then everyone, including himself, messed up their assigned tasks during training. Afterwards, two yaks had strayed into the mountains and he and Fishleggs had gone on their dragons to find them and herd them back.

He'd missed lunch because he had seen Ilsa going into the Great Hall and had not wanted a repeat of this morning. Gobber reprimanded him for being late to the forge, where he had to do an order twice because he hadn't been paying attention. A Terrible Terror had gotten into the backroom of the forge and ate several of the new designs he had sketched, and then Astrid begged off their Sunset fight at the end of the day because she claimed to have remembered a chore she had to do.

He'd returned home with a massive headache and aching, phantom pains in his missing foot, from the dampness of the air outside. Because he was simply exhausted he waved off dinner and had gone straight to bed.

Now, as he lay there, trying to shake off the memory of his nightmare his thoughts wandered to Astrid and the things she had said. He recalled the feel of her hands in his hair and wondered over the emotions it had inspired in him. He'd always known his weakness, and they were legion, but his hair, or rather a girl touching his hair was weakness he had never anticipated. He'd been tempted to curl up in her lap, the way she let Toothless do, and that alarmed him.

He supposed it could be a lost childhood thing, since he didn't remember his mother, and his father had never touched him that way, not with such tenderness and familiarity. Of course, before Astrid, no one ever touched him really, beyond to shove him out of the way at least. Even with his own father he could remember only being hugged twice.

It had shocked him, what Astrid had done, and while he had started the whole thing by trying to cheer her up, it had impacted him much more than he had expected. He hadn't anticipated his goofing around would become so...so intimate.

Stoick appeared at the top of the stairs.

"Hiccup? Are you okay son?"

"Yeah, Dad. Sorry. Just had a bad dream."

"Oh..." Stoick seemed undecided on whether to forge ahead and talk to his son or make a quick escape and avoid such a personal situation. Finally he pushed his bulk through the narrow opening into the loft and sat down on Hiccup's bed. "Do you um...want to...er...talk about it?"

"Not really."

Thank the Gods! "Ah, good, well I'll let you get back to sleep then." He rose again, and was surprised when Toothless blocked the stairs and glared at him. The dragon tilted his head expectantly and then jerked it toward the forlorn looking young man on the bed. Great, now he was getting parenting lessons from a Night Fury; as if Gobber wasn't enough?

He settled back on the bed, took a deep breath. He'd been concerned when his son had gone straight to bed without any supper, and he'd heard the moans and cries from previous nights, suggesting his son's sleep was being regularly disturbed. He'd tried to let Hiccup deal with it, as any man would, sure that his son would come to him if there was a real problem. However, it seemed Hiccup was just as stubborn as leery about personal discussions as his father was

"Am I putting too much pressure on you, son? Perhaps you should take a break from the dragon academy?"

"No!" Hiccup's response was instant and immediate and he flushed, before lowering his voice. "No. I'm okay, Dad. Really." He paused and wondered if he should tell his father about the dreams. Would it help to talk about it to someone, other than Toothless? "Actually, I...I've been having dreams about Astrid."

Stoick immediately shifted uncomfortably. "Oh, well now...you...I mean...well, son, there's a thing that happens with...You're practically a man now, Hiccup and...um...well..."

Hiccup shook his head and arms appalled. "Nightmares, Dad!" he clarified quickly, saving them both the embarrassment of 'the talk'. "I keep dreaming she gets hurt or captured or..." He swallowed hard. "Or killed."

Stoick nodded and patted his son's leg. "It's natural, considering all you two have been through lately, Hiccup. We don't stop worrying about people we care about when we go to sleep, and sometimes it comes through in our dreams."

"But I care about you and Fishleggs and Gobber and...I guess the twins and Snotlout too, so why aren't I dreaming about them?"

"You and Astrid are close. Maybe it's because she's a female and you naturally feel you need to protect her over the rest of the males?"

Hiccup shook his head. "Astrid could take all of us 'males' with one hand tied behind her back."

Stoick chuckled. "True enough, but that doesn't mean you don't still want to protect her."

"I guess." Hiccup ran his hands over his face tiredly. "I just wish they would stop. I'm losing concentration during the day, I can't think straight because of it."

"Why don't you ask Gothi for something that will let you sleep through the night?"

"I may have to." Hiccup nodded, paused and decided to ask the one question that was burning in his stomach. "Dad, how did you know...Um...I mean, when you and Mom were married, how...How did you know that she...she...um..."

"Should be my wife?"

Hiccup flushed and nodded.

"I didn't. Ours was an arranged marriage and so I never saw her until the day before we were to be wed."

"But, you always said you loved mom."

"Oh, I did, son. More than...well more than I can say, but we never really had the chance to have a real courtship. She was from a neighbouring tribe and my father had arranged the marriage with her family."

"So, she didn't chose you?"

"Yes, of course she did. She could have rejected the proposal, it was within her rights to do so, but she decided to leave her home, her family and sail to a new land to be my wife."

"Why?"

"I don't know, son. I don't think she felt very...very welcome in her own land." He smirked. "In many ways you take after her. She wasn't a fan of violence either and she...she didn't always fit in here very well either. But everyone respected her because she was my wife, and that was more than she'd had with her own people."

"So you two just, what? Fell in love afterwards?"

"Well, I think it took your mother a little longer to fall in love with me, but I knew from the moment she stepped off that boat that my heart would only ever belong to her."

Hiccup could hardly believe they were having his conversation; his father rarely spoke about his mother, and never with such genuine emotion.

"How did you know, Dad?"

Stoick grew uncomfortable again. "Well, you...you just know these things, son. It's hard to put into words."

"Will I..." He swallowed hard, thinking of what Astrid had said about Ilsa. "Will it be that way for me too?"

"What way, son?"

"An arranged marriage."

"Well, you are my son, so you will have to get married, Hiccup, and provide an heir." He patted Hiccup's leg. "But not for some time yet."

"You didn't really answer my question."

"Why are you worrying about this now, son?"

"I...I just...I get that it worked out for you and mom..."

"Arranged marriage you mean?" Stoick asked and Hiccup nodded. "It works out that way for many of us, it's part of our traditions, Hiccup."

"I know. I get that, but I would have some...some say in it, right? Who I m...marry?"

"Hiccup, you're my son. Of course you'll have a say." Stoick paused and gazed at Hiccup more intently. "Is there someone you have in mind, son? A girl you're fond of? Is that why you're asking all these questions?"

"No!" Hiccup knew his response was too quick and loud to not be a lie, but he couldn't admit something like that, not yet and certainly not to his father. He lowered his eyes. "I just...I've been curious about it lately, that...that's all."

"Okay, well try and get some sleep then." Stoick patted Hiccup's leg again.

"Yeah. Thanks, Dad."

"Good night, son." Stoick rose and offered Toothless a head scratch. "You get back to sleep too."

Hiccup watched his father descend the stairs, then dropped back onto his bed. After a few moments of tossing, he sighed, grabbed his pillow and blanket and walked over to where Toothless lay again on his mat.

The Night Fury opened his legs invitingly and Hiccup crawled between them. "Sorry, Bud. Just for tonight, okay?"

Toothless nuzzled his little friend affectionately and pulled his wing over both of them.


	3. A Friend in Need

_Thanks yucca90, awesomebri66 and 1356-2478 for reviewing. I am trying to lead up to the change from friends to romance for Hiccup and Astrid, so please let me know what you think and I hope you are enjoying it. HTTYD characters not mine._

* * *

** A FRIEND IN NEED  
**

The arrow flew through the air, hit the outside edge of the target and Astrid screamed in frustration. She stomped over to the target, ripped out the arrow and broke it in half.

"Uh...Are you planning to build a pire?"

Astrid glared at Hiccup then stomped back to where she had started and threw down her bow. "This stupid thing is broken!"

Hiccup looked at the floor of the dragon academy that was littered with broken arrows and discarded bows. "A...all of these are broken?"

She snatched up another bow from the equipment box and a new arrow. "It doesn't shoot properly, so it's broken!" She started to aim for the target again and Hiccup rushed in to stop her.

"Wait! Wait, just, hold on." He wrestled the bow away from her. "Before you destroy our entire archery armoury, let's talk about this."

"They're all defective!"

"Really?" Hiccup placed the arrow in the string, pulled back and let it fly, chagrined when it hit an inch outside the bullseye.

Astrid gaped at him. "What?" She was one of the finest warriors on Berk, but for some reason couldn't manage archery. How was it possible that Hiccup could? "_What_?"

"Uh...lucky shot?"

"How did you do that?" she demanded.

"I...I...ah...I've just been practicing, that...that's all."

She snatched the bow from him and a new arrow. Lined it up and released. Her arrow went completely over the target this time. "This is not happening!" How could Hiccup be better than her with a weapon? She turned on him. "Tell me what you did." She pointed an accusing finger at his arrow, still in the target. "How did you do that?"

"Astrid, please, I told you, I've been practicing..."

"Practicing? Practicing!" She tossed down the bow and grabbed him by the tunic. "I've been practicing for months and that..." She pointed to her last arrow. "Is the best I can do. Why are you so much better at this?"

"I...I don't know. I guess I just have good a..aim?"

"Aim? Aim!" She pulled him close enough that their noses touched. "You can't hit the broad side of a yak, Hiccup!"

"Hey!" He pushed her hands away from him and stepped back, offended. "No need to get personal!"

Astrid bit her lip, chagrined. "I...I'm sorry." She turned away and picked up the bow again. "I...I just can't figure this thing out! You know me, Hiccup. You know I'm the best with an axe, a hammer, a sword. Why can't I get this stupid thing to work?"

"Um...Well...Astrid, maybe you just need more...um... patience?"

"Months, Hiccup! I've been at this for months!"

"I know," he soothed, understanding how hard it must be for her not to excel at something. "Look, why don't I help you with it, just until you get the hang of it?"

It aggrieved her to admit that she would need Hiccup's help. Not that she didn't think Hiccup had skills, he did have many skills, but weapons had never been one of them. That had always been her field of expertise.

"Fine. What choice do I have?"

"Uh, yeah. Great way to instil confidence, there, Astrid."

She sighed and offered him an apologetic look. "Just...just show me how to do this, would you?" When he raised his eyebrow at her she rolled her eyes. "Please?"

"Why, of course, Milady." He handed her the bow and plucked another arrow from the quiver by the box. "Okay, take a shot."

She did and the arrow just nicked the outside target ring. About the hurl the bow after it, Hiccup caught her arms.

"That isn't helping." He selected another arrow. "Okay, let's try this again."

"Hiccup..."

"Just...trust me, Astrid. You can do this."

She knocked another arrow and pulled the line taught.

"Don't release it yet." He studied her stance and adjusted it. "Lift this arm a little higher, little more, there!" Moving behind her he looked over her shoulder for the angle and lowered the elbow of her right arm. "Down a little, there. See how the target lines up with the top edge of the arrowhead?"

She nodded and tried not to question why her heart rate had suddenly picked up. When she felt his hands on her hips she almost rounded on him, but she realized he was just angling her body to correct for her aim.

"There, just like that. No, keep that foot forward. Right." Again he stood directly behind her and placed his fingers over hers on the bow grip. "Steady, keep it steady." He curled his fingers around her right bicep to keep her bent arm locked. "Now, take a deep breath, and release as you exhale."

Astrid hadn't known that she'd been holding her breath until he told her to breathe. She turned her head to look at him, he had grown taller than her in the last several months and his body was almost flush against hers. She could feel the solidity of it, realized, perhaps for the first time, that he actually had managed to accumulate a bit of muscle mass.

His warm breath tickled her neck as he gave instructions and made her tingle all over, like she'd had a mild shock. As she stared at that familiar face, she realized it was no longer the face of a scrawny kid, but that of boy becoming a man.

"Astrid?"

"Huh?"

"Take your shot."

She flushed and faced forward.

"Remember, deep breath and release on the exhale."

She closed her eyes a moment to focus, then did as he instructed. Her arrow hit just an inch left of his. "I...I did it!" She turned and hugged him, hard. "I did it!"

"Of course you did!" He grinned as she ran over to the target to examine her arrow. "That was amazing!" She hurried back to him, grabbed another arrow. "Let's try again."

Hiccup continued to instruct her until she was hitting the target every time and he no longer had to adjust her stance.

Finally, when her arm grew sore they stopped. "I don't understand why I couldn't do that before."

"Well, um...maybe you need a little more finesse for archery. It's not something you can just toss out there."

"I don't just toss anything!"

"What...what I mean is that when you throw your axe or a dagger, you need good aim but you also need good upper arm strength. A bow and arrow isn't so much about strength as it is...angles and...and judgement. Because it's much lighter and thinner than your other weapons, you have to calculate wind speed and..."

When she started to snore he glared at her.

"Fine." He turned and started to walk away. " You've hit the target, good luck with the rest."

She laughed and chased after him. "Just kidding."

"Harump."

"Aww, come on. I appreciate you showing me, really I do." She tossed the bow in the box. "Maybe you can show me some more later?"

Hiccup felt that familiar warmth spreading through his chest that always came with a promise of spending personal time with Astrid. He started picking up all the broken arrows. "Maybe."

She smiled and joined him in gathering the equipment.

When they finished he said. "It really is just about practice and patience, Astrid."

"Well, I admit, I'm not the most patient person."

When he snorted in agreement she slugged him in the arm.

"Listen, Mr. Expert, I can still take you out."

"I never had any doubt, Milady," he assured rubbing his sore arm. Either he was actually gaining some muscle or she was pulling her punches, because they didn't hurt like they used to. Or that arm was simply dead and had no more feeling from her previous attacks.

They hopped up on their dragons.

"I've got to get to Gobbers, I'm already late."

"Okay, I'll see you later." Astrid waved as she and Stormfly went one way and Hiccup and Toothless the other.

"Hiccup!" Astrid called out as she entered the forge later that morning,

"Over here, Milady," he called back then returned to the saddle he was cutting for a new order.

"Now don't you go distracting him, young lady," Gobber warned as he set about pounding out a new sword. "He's got work to do and he was already late this morning."

Hiccup rolled his eyes as he cut through the leather along the lines he had marked. "By five minutes, Gobber."

"Late is late!"

Astrid grinned at the older Viking and then turned her attention to Hiccup. "You know my uncle Fin's Birthday is this week, right?"

"Sure."

"Well, Fishleggs said that he knows where there is an entire island of Siema Spice, Fin's favourite."

Hiccup pulled the leather off the workhorse and set it into one of his new inventions to bind and coat the leather with a fire-proof chemical Fishleggs had discovered. "Isn't Trader Johann due here soon? He usually has that spice."

"He won't be here until the end of the month and I want to get some for my Uncle before then."

Hiccup shrugged. "Okay, I'll see you when you get back then."

"Well...there's a problem. You made that silly rule about not flying over Breakneck Bog alone."

"First of all, it's not a silly rule." Hiccup pulled the saddle off the machine, attached the ribbing cords and brought it to the window where a large Viking was waiting. "Here you go, Sven."

Silent Sven smiled, nodded and wandered off with his new dragon saddle.

"Second, Breakneck Bog is too dangerous for anyone to go near alone, because of the Smothering Smokebreaths, and that is my Father's rule, not mine."

"I know but..."

"Third, _why_ would you want to fly anywhere near Breakneck Bog?"

"Because Fishleggs said that the island where the spice can be found is on the north side of it."

Hiccup lifted an eyebrow. "Fishleggs is willing to go that close to a place he still has nightmares about?"

"Well, no. But he told me where it was and I thought _we_ could make the trip."

"But I don't want to go..."

"It's your stupid rule, Hiccup!"

"It's not..."

Astrid pressed her face to his and grabbed him by the tunic in warning. "Don't make me have to ask Snotlout."

He tried to stare her down, tried to keep his frown of disapproval in place, but it was useless to go up against Astrid when she wanted something.

"Okay!" He tossed his arms up in defeat. "Fine! I suppose you want to go now?"

"The sooner the better."

Hiccup looked at Gobber. "Do you mind?"

Gobber sighed. "Would it matter? Finish that new shield for Lars, he's been waiting a week already."

Hiccup nodded and turned his gaze back to Astrid. "I'll meet you at the academy in about thirty minutes."

Astrid grinned and gave him a quick kiss before dashing out of the shop.

Gobber chuckled. "That's a fine lass you've got there, Hiccup. A wee bit aggressive, but a fine lass."

"Astrid isn't aggressive she's..." Hiccup searched for an appropriate word, but couldn't find one. "Okay, she's aggressive, but that's just on the outside. On the inside she's..."

"Pushy? Domineering? Forceful? Bossy?"

"She's a Viking!" Hiccup smirked. "She's all of those things."

"Aye, and it seems she's set her cap for you, all right. Well, you two do make a cute couple."

Hiccup almost dropped the hammer he was using. "Wait. What?"

He liked Astrid, a lot, they had a very easy and accepting friendship and he never really expected or assumed anything from the few kisses she had given him, the occasional hugs. That was just the way she was, at least it was the way she was with him.

"Astrid and I aren't a...a couple."

"Sure you are, and everyone knows it."

Everyone? Astrid had made it clear to him and to everyone else in the village, from when they were kids that he was too scrawny, too different from the other battle-ready, fearless Vikings she modeled herself after. Sure they were good friends now, but he would never be more than a hiccup in her eyes. Why only Thor himself could be her perfect match. That's what he knew, what everybody knew.

"Gobber! Why would you even say that?"

"Well, she's doesn't show the least bit of interest in any _other_ young men in the village." Gobber winked. "Only you, Hiccup."

Admittedly Astrid had deflected most advances from boys her age, but that was because she was a warrior and didn't have time for silly things like romance.

"We're just friends! Astrid and I are just really good friends and...and team mates."

"Oh, aye? Is that why she's always kissin' ye then?"

"She's not...always kissing me!" Hiccup waved his hands, empathically. "And anyway that...that's just her way!"

"I never see her kissing Snotlout," Gobber countered. "Or Fishlegs."

Hiccup sneered. "Would you?"

"No, but I'm not the prettiest girl in the village either." Gobber shoved the hot sword he was working on into the tub of cold water. "Trust me, Hiccup. That lass likes you and you'd best get a move on before her uncle arranges a marriage for her with someone else."

Marriage! Good grief! He was only sixteen!

"You're mistaken, Gobber." He turned back to his work and tried to ignore the strange stirring in his chest that Gobber's words had caused. "Astrid does not like me that way. She certainly wouldn't want to...to marry me."

"And why not?" The larger Viking rounded on him suddenly. "You're quite the village catch, Hiccup. Dragon Rider. Dragon Trainer, teacher and the chief's son. Why any lass would be crazy not to want to be with you."

"You're out of your mind!"

He was those things only because of Toothless. He owed everything to Toothless and it had nothing to do with who or what he was. He didn't even know who he was, how could anyone else? The girls in the village used to scorn him, including Astrid, they were only nicer to him now because of the dragons, not because of anything he was or could be.

"Camacazie has had her eye on you for awhile now."

Hiccup shuddered. "Not happening, ever."

"Understandable." Gobber nodded, sympathetically. "All I'm saying is you shouldn't assume that Astrid _doesn't _like you in that way."

"But...She's always punching me, or...or knocking me to the ground or arguing with me, and...and she's always trying to show me up in training and..."

"Talkin' ye into a trip to an island so's to get some alone time with ye?"

A...Alone time? "Breakneck Bog hardly fills one with romance, Gobber!"

"One makes do, Hiccup."

Hiccup opened his mouth to protest further and no words came out. Odin's Ghost! Is that really why Astrid wanted him to go with her? No. No, Gobber had to be pulling his leg.

"You're helmet's too tight again." He turned back to his work. "Fishleggs is probably too afraid to go and quite frankly I wouldn't want her to go with the twins or with Snotlout, that's just asking for trouble."

"Aye, you'd want her to go with someone you know can take care of her."

"Astrid can take care of herself." He carefully hammered nails into the shield to hold the metal rim as he muttered. "She can take care of all of us."

"Oh, I dinna know about that. There's been a time or two that you've saved her pretty neck."

"And she's saved mine. And so have the twins and Fishleggs. We're a team, Gobber. We're all a team, and that's all there is too it."

"If you say so, son." Gobber turned back to his forge and started humming a tune.

When Hiccup up recognized it as the Wedding song he threw his hammer at the Blacksmith's head


	4. Danger and Despair

Okay So I am not sure where this chapter came from, but every time I closed my eyes there it was, begging to be written. I hope you enjoy it. HTTYD characters are not mine.

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**DANGER AND DESPAIR**

"Is Fishleggs sure about this place, Astrid?" Hiccup asked from his place atop Toothless. "I really hope we're not making this trip for nothing."

"When is Fishleggs ever wrong about facts, Hiccup?"

She had a point. "Okay, well, let's stay above the clouds until we get closer, no sense courting trouble."

"Fine with me." She directed Stormfly to go higher as they circled a crop of islands in the shape of a man's hand. "He said that the island we're working for is the middle finger."

"How rude," Hiccup muttered. "We have to avoid the thumb, that's where the Smothering Smoke-Breaths are and you know how much they like my metal leg."

"No problem!"

"I mean it, Astrid. We land, we get the spice, and we get out of there, fast!"

"Of course." She waved a hand at him. "You worry too much, Hic..." A flock of Terrible Terrors suddenly flew into their path and knocked her off Stormfly's back.

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried and pushed Toothless into a hard dive. "Faster, boy. Faster!" They caught her mere inches from hitting the water.

"T...thanks," she offered as she slid her arms around Hiccup's waist. "Where's Stormfly?"

"Over...oh no."

Astrid's eyes widened in terror as a giant waterspout loomed before them. She spotted Stormfly spinning out of control towards the water, heard Toothless growl and Hiccup's cry before everything went black.

Astrid groaned as she came awake, rolled slowly onto her side, and carefully sat up. "Hiccup!" She put a hand to her aching head and looked around. "Toothless!"

She scrambled to her feet, winced as she tried to put weight on her left foot. "Hiccup! Toothless!" She limped forward, cupped her hands over her mouth. "Stormfly!" Oh Gods! Oh Gods! Where were they?

"Stormfly!" She heard a familiar whine and spotted a length of black dart behind some trees. "Toothless!"

The dragon reappeared and hurried over to her. She climbed onto his back, relieved to be off her foot. "Where is Hiccup, Toothless?"

The Night Fury moaned in worry and discontent, his rider had not been there when he regained consciousness.

"We have to find him, come on." She urged him on and together they began their search, occasionally calling for him.

After almost thirty minutes, they finally got a response.

"Here! I'm here! Astrid! Toothless!"

Toothless ran up the side of the cliff, frantic to find his friend, and slid to a halt when he spotted Hiccup pinned by a large tree across his legs.

"Hiccup!" Astrid jumped off of Toothless and hurried to the fallen boy. "What happened? How did you get up here?"

"I...I woke up and was trying to find you guys when something grabbed me and dropped me up here."

"What was it? Did you see what it was?" Astrid and Toothless tried to move the tree off of him but it wouldn't budge.

"No." Hiccup was fighting to stay conscious, to not panic. Not his leg, please Thor, don't let him lose another leg. "Had...had to be a dragon. When it dropped me I started to run and it shot some sort of...of energy shot at me, not fire, but not like Toothless either. It was this green glowing...energy. I ducked, the shot hit the tree and the tree fell on me."

"Toothless, can you blast away that end?"

Toothless quickly complied, blasting at one end of the huge tree, then the other, avoiding the part where Hiccup was pinned. Finally it was small enough that he could push it off of his rider.

Astrid stared at the blood spreading across Hiccup's leggings. "We have to get you back to Berk." She carefully helped him onto Toothless, trying to be gentle as she could, because she could see he was in great pain, then she slid on behind him and slipped her foot into the controlling hitch for Toothless' tail. "Take us home, Toothless. Fast!"

Toothless was in the air like a shot and Astrid had to use one arm to tightly hold onto Hiccup, who seemed to have no strength to hold on himself. Luckily, she knew how the fan tail worked, Hiccup had trained her on it, and so Toothless could take advantage of his speed without worry he would not be directed properly.

"Uh, Astrid?"

"Yeah?"

"I...I think I'm gonna pass out."

"Hang on, Hiccup. We'll be there soon, just hang on."

"Don't...don't let them take it, Astrid. Please." A single tear slipped down his cheek "Promise me."

"We're almost there." Astrid kissed his cheek, understand exactly what he was afraid of and squeezed him tighter, knowing she couldn't make such a promise. She could only hope that the damage wasn't as severe as it looked. "I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Hiccup."

"Astrid," he murmured and realized he was going into shock. "Not...not your fault."

It was her fault and she would never forgive herself if Hiccup lost his good leg.

"S...sorry, Astrid. Tried..." Hiccup slumped forwards, unconscious and Astrid's hold on him tightened.

"Faster, Toothless."

And the dragon flew.

Once on Berk, Gothi was called in and then all they could do was wait. Stoick paced anxiously outside his house, leaving the medicine woman alone with his son and Toothless, as the dragon refused to leave his rider's side.

Fishleggs, the twins, Snotlout and Astrid sat miserably on the stoop.

"Well, at least we've already got the plans if he needs another metal..." Gobber began and was quickly silenced when Stoick and Astrid sent him a seething glance. "Just sayin'. I'm sure he'll be fine. For such a Hiccup, he's surprisingly hearty."

Astrid hung her face in her hands. "I never should have gone after that stupid spice. This is all my fault!"

"I'm sorry I ever told you about that stupid island," Fishleggs sighed, morosely.

"It's no one's fault!" Stoick insisted, putting an end to it. "Let's just pray to Odin that Gothi can help him and...and if she can't, well..." He rung his hands for a moment then pushed them behind his back. "We all have to be strong for Hiccup. We have to support him, no matter what the outcome, and trying to place blame will not do him or anyone any good."

"She's been in there for hours," Snotlout complained, hiding his concern behind annoyance. "How long does it take to cut off another leg?"

"Snotlout!" Astrid gasped.

Snotlout flushed, that hadn't come out exactly as he'd planned. "I mean, if that was all she had to do, she'd be done by now, right?" A few of them considered, nodded. "Then she must think she can fix his leg or she wouldn't still be in there."

When the door opened, all seven Vikings immediately rushed forward, then stopped when the old woman held up her hand. She pointed to Stoick and waved him forward. Pushing past the others, Stoick quickly stepped into the house.

Hiccup was on the table in the lower room, several blankets thrown over him and a pillow for his head. He was pale, incredibly pale; far worse than he normally was. There was a pot hanging over the spit by the fire and Toothless stood by the table solemnly.

"H...How is he? Did you...could you?"

Gothi lifted the sheet and showed Hiccup's leg wrapped in a mud plaster and splinted on all four sides.

"Broken?" Stoick gushed relieved. "Just broken? You won't have to take the leg?"

Gothi touched Hiccup's fevered brow, indicated the cloth and dish of water on the wall hutch, and sighed.

Stoick understood what she was saying. Until Hiccup's fever broke there was no way to tell if he would make it through.

He nodded, grimly. "Thank you, Gothi. We'll watch him around the clock and come find you if anything changes. Can he be moved?"

She shook her head and pointed at the floor.

"Just to his bed, then? I'll bring it down here."

She nodded, touched her aged hand to Hiccup's cheek with both affection and regret, then stepped outside.

A knock on the door came almost immediately and Stoick called for them to enter. He quickly asked for Gobber to help him with Hiccup's bed, while the twins very carefully moved the table with Hiccup on it aside and Astrid and Snotlout pushed back the remaining furniture to make room. They were all filled with a sense of déjà vu of that day two years ago when Hiccup had battled a dragon and lost his leg.

They set Hiccup's bed close to the fire and Stoick gently placed his son under the covers.

"Gobber, you'll need to take over some of my duties for now, as I'll need to tend Hiccup. Only come to me if it is a true emergency."

"Right, Chief," Gobber assured and left to spread the news.

"You lot go one home, there's nothing more we can do now but wait."

"I...I'd like to stay, Sir?" Astrid asked quietly. "To help you look after Hiccup."

Stoick nodded, he'd expected no less from the girl; she was a true friend to his son. "I would appreciate that, Astrid. Thank you." He lifted the dish with the cloth. "We'll need more cool water."

"I'll get it!" Snotlout insisted, grabbing the dish and surprising everyone. He looked at them. "What? I know how to carry water, you know." He darted out without further explanation.

"Is there anything we can do, Chief?" Fishleggs offered, kindly.

"Actually Fishleggs, we'll need you to arrange regular patrol parties. With Astrid and Hiccup here, the village still needs to be protected."

"I'll get right on it, Chief."

"Yeah! I'll go help him do that." Tuffnut looked at his sister, who was still staring at Hiccup. "Coming, Sis?"

She glanced at him, then shook her head. "I think I'll stay here for awhile."

Both Tuffnut and Fishleggs stared at her in shock, but they kept their comments to themselves and left the house.

Ruffnut's gaze stayed to Hiccup again. "Why don't I fix something to eat?" she said moving to the hearth and glancing into the pot Gothi had left there. "What _is_ this?"

Astrid rose and glanced inside. "That's for Hiccup's fever. " She retrieved a large canteen. "Put it in here for now."

Ruffnut did so, surprisingly without spilling a drop, then took the pot outside to wash as Snotlout returned with a full dish of water.

"I've filled a whole barrel and put it by the door, so if you need more you just have to go that far." He handed the dish to Astrid.

"That was very thoughtful of you, Snotlout," Stoick offered.

"Hey, I can be thoughtful."

Astrid dipped the cloth into the cool water and held it to Hiccup's brow. "Oh, Hiccup."

* * *

Hiccup stirred slowly, reluctantly out of his dark abyss and almost immediately felt a familiar nuzzle at his cheek. His eyes flew open as he looked at Toothless. "Hey buddy." He lifted his hand to caress the dragon, and as Toothless lowered his head for the full effect, Hiccup spotted someone asleep at the dining table. "Astrid?"

The horror of what had happened flooded back to him, the sense that he had been here before, in this bed downstairs in his house instead of upstairs, and Toothless nudging him awake.

"No!" he croaked and sat up. "Gods, please..." He threw back the covers and almost fainted in relief. A plaster. His leg was still there and wrapped in one of Gothi's plasters. He fell back as his body simply went limp with relief.

"Hiccup?" Astrid moaned, lifted her head from the table, then came fully awake and she bolted over to him, throwing her arms around him in a bone crushing hug. "Oh, Hiccup!"

"Can't...breathe!"

"Oh! Sorry!" She released him and noticed the blanket. She smiled at him. "It was just broken. You're going to be fine."

He reached for her hand as she pulled the blanket up around him again. "Thank you, Astrid."

"Hey, thank Toothless. I've never seen him fly so fast, I'm sure he could have outrun Thor's lightning!" She smoothed down the blanket, then turned to the hutch and dipped the cloth in the water. "It's my fault anyway, that this happened."

She started to put the cloth over his forehead but he stopped her, taking it and curling his fingers through hers.

"It's no one's fault, Astrid."

"I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry." She looked away as tears filled her eyes. The idea that she had almost lost him, or he had almost lost another leg was killing her. "You...you could have died, Hiccup. You almost did and...and...all for a stupid bit of spice."

"Hey." He sat up and pulled her into his arms. "I'm okay. Everything is okay." He rubbed her back, startled to find her trembling. "Shhhh. Shhhh, now. It's okay." He pulled back and wiped at her tears. "Come on, where is Berk's finest warrior? The girl who can isn't afraid of Outcasts, marauders or Flightmares?"

"I was afraid." She leaned her face into his palm. "Oh, Hiccup. I was so afraid."

Hiccup was both moved and appalled by her admission. He'd never considered that Astrid would be afraid of anything, ever. She was always so brave, so fearless. "Were you hurt?" he asked quietly.

She shook her head and sniffed, wiped at her nose. "Just twisted my ankle, it was fine."

"What about Stormfly?"

"She got disoriented by the waterspout and was flying around looking for us. We met on the way back to Berk."

"How long have I been out?"

"Almost a week." She bolted straight suddenly. "Stoick! I have to go tell him you're awake." She pressed her lips to his in a quick kiss then ran out the door. "Be right back!"

"Oh...okay." Hiccup watched the door close, then looked at Toothless. "Well, a week huh?" The dragon nodded solemnly. "So, you must be crawling the walls to get out." He tossed back the covers a second time, only to have the head of a Night Fury drop on his chest. "He...Hey!"

The dragon mumbled his opinion.

"Oh...okay, bud. Maybe, I'm not ready to fly just yet."

Toothless lifted his head, picked up the cloth Astrid had discarded and dropped it across Hiccup's forehead.

"Thanks, bud. My head is kinda swimming."

"Hiccup!" The door slammed open as Stoick burst in. The Chief knelt at his son's bedside and took Hiccup's hand. "My boy. You're awake!"

"So it would seem."

"How do you feel son?"

"Ah...weak, but probably no more than usual." He indicated his leg. "Guess I can't go for a run any time soon."

"Gothi says it can come off at the end of the week, so just a few more days." He pushed Hiccup's bangs out of his eyes. "We're very glad you're okay, son. You gave us all quite a scare."

"Sorry, Dad."

Stoick rose, adjusted Hiccup's covers back over him and rose. "Thank Odin for Astrid, she's really what pulled you through. She hasn't left your side since you were brought back."

Hiccup flushed. "Um...really?"

"Really, son." Stoick placed his hand on Toothless' head. "Nor has this one." He leaned down to speak to the dragon directly. "You need a good fly, boy. Now that our boy is out of danger, what say I take you out for a spin, hey?" He turned back to Hiccup. "If that's okay with you, son?"

Toothless' hope-filled look was enough to make the choice and Hiccup nodded.

"Yeah, you two go ahead. Give him a good long ride, Dad. If he's been cooped up here for a week he'll need it."

"Will do, son." Stoick moved to the door, just as Astrid re-appeared with a bowl of steaming liquid. "What's that you've got there, Astrid?"

"Just some homemade lamb soup, Sir. I thought Hiccup might be hungry."

"I'm sure he is." Stoick moved aside for her to enter then waved at them. "We'll be back later. I'll leave him in your capable hands, Astrid."

Astrid closed the door as the Chief and dragon went out, then walked over to Hiccup, who struggled to sit up. "Gothi said not to give you anything too heavy, so I thought this would be okay." She sat on his bed, dipped the spoon in and offered him some soup.

Normally Hiccup would have reminded her that it was his leg that was broken, not his arms, as she had ruthlessly pointed out to Ilsa several weeks before. Instead, he just accepted the soup, then watched as she smiled and gathered another spoonful. If she wanted to feed him, who was he to complain?

She rattled on about what he'd missed over the past week, things that had happened in the village, one mild skirmish with a rogue dragon that Snotlout had managed to effectively chase off. Nothing special.

Astrid seemed nervous, and it was rare that she was this chatty, but Hiccup held his tongue, ate the soup and patiently listened.

When she scrapped the bottom of the bowl she scowled. "Oh." She looked at him. "Would you like more?"

He shook his head, he was actually feeling a little queasy. "No, I'm good. Thanks."

She rose, set the bowl on the table and then lit a few lanterns as it was starting to get dark. "Are you warm enough?" She bent to poke the fire and add another log. "I can get you another blanket?"

On her third pass of his bed he reached out and caught her arm. "Astrid." She turned and he could see the exhaustion evident on her face. "Go home, Astrid. Get some sleep."

"I'm fine." She pulled away, grabbed a spare cloth and wiped down the table, even though it didn't need it. "I can get you your sketch book if you like? I know you like to draw and..."

"Astrid."

She stopped wiping but didn't turn around.

"Come here. Please."

Reluctantly she walked over to the bed, watched as he carefully slid over.

"Lie down."

Her eyes widened.

"If you won't go home to sleep, then do it here. You need to rest, Astrid. You look exhausted."

"I just...I can't. Not until you're better."

"I am better." He reached for her hand and tugged her down to the mattress. "Come on, just a quick nap. I promise to wake you if I need anything."

Her mind still protested but her body was too tired to argue. She stretched out on his bed, atop the covers and put her head next to his on the pillow. "Promise you'll wake me?"

"I promise," he assured.

Her eyes drifted closed. "Okay, but...just for a minute."

"Sure." Hiccup lay beside her, intrigued at how the firelight danced across her pale features. "Only a minute."

That was how Stoick found them when he returned an hour later; facing each other and sound asleep on the bed. He put his finger to his lips to tell Toothless to move quietly, then he retrieved a spare blanket from upstairs and draped it over his two kids. Granted, Astrid wasn't biologically his, but he'd always considered her one of his own.

"Sleep well, my brave warriors." He tenderly kissed Hiccup's cheek, then Astrid's. "You've earned it."


	5. Getting Older

These two scenes have been stuck in my head, hope you enjoy. Thanks for taking the time to review braelynnway, Jade (the P was a typo, sorry!), tirtlegrrl (thanks for the tips, have fixed those mistakes!) and HiccupHaddockLover .

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**GETTING OLDER  
**

"Hold this, bud," Hiccup requested and gave Toothless the end of his measuring stick. "Little higher." The dragon complied and Hiccup placed his hand on the Night Fury's snout, then put his arm against the stick. "Hmmm." He pulled the stick away from Toothless and put one end to his elbow to finish the measure. "My tunics didn't shrink, my arms _are_ longer, buddy."

Toothless rumbled in agreement and watched his rider use a piece of charcoal to mark the swatch of leather spread on the bed.

"Okay, next." Hiccup measured his waist, then marked the measurement on the leather again, making little sounds to himself now and then. "Okay, now the big test."

He gave Toothless the measuring stick, and understanding his rider's request immediately Toothless lifted his head so the top of the stick sat right at Hiccup's collarbone. Hiccup put his fingers to where the stick stopped at the middle of his back. "Okay, bud." Toothless lowered the top of the stick to where Hiccup's fingers pointed.

"Yep.," Hiccup admitted as he grabbed his charcoal again to draw on the leather. "Toothless, I have definitely grown." Thank the Gods!

He was nowhere near his father's height or girth, but he'd added a little length, even a little muscle. Instead of reed thin arms he could now say he had branches; small ones, but branches just the same. He'd even started shaving.

Glancing in the small piece of mirror on his wall he had to admit, he looked older. And why shouldn't he? Tomorrow he would be seventeen, he should look older.

Turning back to the material on his bed, he grabbed the drawings he'd finished for his new set of clothes and proceeded to figure out the pattern against the leather.

"What's that for?"

He glanced up and spotted Astrid leaning in his window; he assumed Stormfly had flown her up there.

"As...Astrid!" He grabbed a white undershirt and scrambled to pull it on to hide his naked chest. "Uh... you know, just designing a...a new outfit."

She smirked at his shyness, stepped inside and picked up the top drawing of the tunic. "Hey, this is cool, but why do you need a new one?"

He indicated the green wool tunic that he had been wearing for years, now sadly draped over his chair; faded and worn from use. "It's time to send that one to Valhalla."

She grinned and sat down on his bed, fingered the leather. "Wool would be warmer," she reminded.

"Yeah, but leather is more durable and more flexible. It will help with manoeuvrability when I'm riding Toothless."

"True." She smiled at him. "Can I help?"

Hiccup offered a private prayer of thanks that she hadn't come in a few seconds earlier when he had been measuring himself. "Ah, nah. I've got the pattern now, just need to sew it together."

She glanced at a drawing of the full outfit with belts and armament. "Are you doing these too?"

"This...oh this is nothing. Just, you know...in my head." He shyly pulled the papers away from her. "Um...so did you need me for something?"

"We have to go on a medicine run for Gothi, remember?"

"Oh yeah!" He smacked his head. "I completely forgot." He gathered his drawings, set them on his desk, then shrugged into his green tunic and fur vest just as his father appeared at the top of the stairs.

Stoick paused, looking from one to the other.

"Astrid, I didn't hear you come in."

She had the decency to blush. "Um...Sorry, Chief. Stormfly and I just stopped in to...to remind Hiccup that we have to go on a run for Gothi."

"Did you need anything, Dad?" Hiccup asked as he packed his satchel, and grabbed an extra blanket. Some of the herbs that Gothi required were far north of Berk, so they wouldn't have enough time to get back before dark.

They had developed a tradition of camping overnight on one of the islands midway just because of the dangers of waterspouts and rogue dragons.

"No, no. I just say good morning, son." Stoick paused, he was trying to be gracious about his son leaving the island, but every time he did Stoic worried Hiccup would get hurt again. "Is it just the two of you going?"

"Snotlout and the twins will be here, we're taking Fishleggs with us because he knows what to look for." Hiccup grabbed his shield. "We didn't want to leave Berk completely unprotected."

"That's a good idea, son." He clapped Hiccup on the shoulder and smiled at Astrid. "Astrid, Hiccup will join you shortly."

"Sure, Chief." Eager to be dismissed she hopped out the window and onto Stormfly's back.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Hiccup, I know you and Astrid are friends, but it's not appropriate for her to be in the house without my knowing."

Hiccup flushed. "She...she was just flying by, Dad."

"I know, and I am very fond of Astrid." He squeezed Hiccup's shoulder. "I know you two would never do anything to dishonour our traditions. I'm just reminding you. We wouldn't want people to start talking and stirring up trouble, now would we?"

"O...oh kay. Point taken." He moved to the window with Toothless. "We'll be back in the morning."

"Okay, son. Stay safe." And be good, Stoick added silently as he watched his son and dragon fly out the window.

Astrid and Stormfly caught up to him almost immediately. "Did I get you in trouble?"

"Nah, he's just, you know, being a Dad."

Astrid nodded as they passed over Fishlegg's house, where the large Viking was just harnessing his saddle over Meatlug. "Let's go, Fishleggs!"

"Coming!" he called, even as his mother rushed out, smothered him with kisses and pressed a large food sack into his hands. "Aww, Mom. Not in front of the other riders."

The trio quickly left the isle of Berk and headed south. They spent most of the day flying to various islands for specific herbs, then finally made their camp on Odin's Crest, an island shaped like a half-moon, where they knew no dragons or outcasts resided.

"My mom packed us a big dinner, everyone." Fishleggs started to unpack the selection of cheese, bread and cured lamb. "I hope you're hungry."

"Fantastic, I'm starving." Astrid accepted a leg of lamb and some bread. "Who would have thought picking flowers would be so exhausting?"

Hiccup dropped a selection of branches into the circle they'd surrounded with small rocks. "Would you mind, Toothless?" He settled on the ground with his back against a downed tree log, as Toothless cheerfully lit a fire for them. "Well, it's better than fighting Berserkers anyway." He accepted some food from his teammate. "Thanks, Fishleggs."

"Hey Hiccup." Fishleggs noted how Hiccup's tunic was well above his friend's wrists and forearms. "You should get a new shirt from Trader Yohann when he comes. I think you've actually out grown that one."

"Hiccup's making his own clothes, now," Astrid teased.

"Astrid!"

"You know how to make shirts, Hiccup?"

"I...I've managed to make a few, yes." Hiccup glared at Astrid. "I kinda had to since most of the ones made in the village are for...well...are bigger."

"Oh Fishleggs," Astrid pretended to wipe a tear from her eye. "Our little boy is finally growing up."

Fishleggs jumped right in. "Awww and he was such a cute baby."

"Ha Ha, so not funny," Hiccup retorted as the others laughed. He smirked and bit into his lamb.

"Did you hear that Snotlout is being haunted?" Fishleggs asked. "He says that every night this ghost comes to him and tells him he has to do these strange things by the sunset the next day or he'll be cursed."

Hiccup's eyebrows rose. "A ghost huh?"

"Yeah, and it's asking him to do some really, really odd things. Like, today he was standing on the hall steps and clucking like a chicken. The day before he was going around naming all the yaks and then putting bells on them."

Astrid hid her laugh behind her hand.

"Do you know why a ghost could be asking him to do these things?"

"No idea," Hiccup replied, but he suspected why a couple of tricksters might. "But I'm relatively sure he won't actually be cursed."

He'd talk to Ruffnut and Tuffnut when he got back. A bit of fun was one thing, but as they had learned when the twins had convinced Snotlout he had seen the signs of death, it caused more harm than good.

"I wonder what sort of curse the ghost might put on him. He can be a pain in the neck, so maybe they'll make him a into a bolo or something."

Hiccup didn't understand Fishlegg's comment, at all, but that was nothing new. Lately his brainy friend was becoming more obscure that usual.

They ate, chatted and joked for awhile, then Fishleggs wandered over to Meatlug, curled up with a blanket and went to sleep.

Hiccup absently stroked Toothless as he poked at the fire with a stick, then watched Astrid as she grabbed two blankets and walked over to him. "Cold?"

"Nah, I'm okay."

She nodded, sat next to him and pulled one of the blankets across her lap. "How's the hair doing?"

"Growing, just like the rest of me, Mom."

She giggled and pulled at several strands to see if she could form a braid yet. "I was only teasing."

"Yeah, yeah." He poked at the fire again.

"I like your new suit. I can't wait to see it."

"You may have to." He tossed the stick and pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around them. "I don't know when I'll have the time to work on it, between training, patrols, working in the forge with Gobber and now Dad even has me doing some of his chiefly duties."

Astrid set her tongue between her teeth and squinted her eyes in concentration, almost...almost... She sighed when the braid fell apart again. "I can help you with it," she offered, pulling her fingers through the half braid she had managed and then starting again. "I'm pretty good with a needle and thread."

"You're pretty good with everything."

His dead panned comment was so matter of fact, so...so graciously Hiccup that she grinned. "Why thank you, kind sir."

"You are welcome, Milady."

They sat in silence for awhile, him staring at the fire, and her playing with his hair. The gentle sound of synchronized snoring from Meatlug and Fishleggs was filtered only by the cackling flames of the fire. When he realized that Astrid's fingers had stopped moving, he turned his head and smirked.

Her head was on his shoulder, her fingers hooked in his hair and she was out cold. He carefully pulled the blanket over her, then returned his attention to the fire.

Sleep didn't come easily to him lately, his mind couldn't seem to settle. The nightmares about Astrid had stopped, but now his dreams were filled by a massive white dragon, unlike any he had ever seen or read about. The dreams weren't violent, or frightening, just disturbing.

He sensed that the dragon was trying to tell him something, but he couldn't figure out what. In the dream he would follow the beast through large pillars of ice, and every now and then he would hear this strange sound, like a child's rattle, or a pole shaker, meant to appease uneasy spirits. There was something he had to see, somewhere he had to go, but just before he could find it he'd wake up and the dream would drift away with the mists of morning through his window.

His father had always told him not to put much stock in dreams, yet he couldn't stop thinking about this one. There had to me some meaning, some truth behind it. But what? What could the dragon be trying to tell him? Tomorrow he would be seventeen; did it have something to do with coming of age? Was it a sign of growth, or a sign of warning?

He sighed, picked up his stick and poked at the fire again.

Fishleggs was the first to wake the following morning, and was mildly surprised to see Astrid and Hiccup sitting with their heads touching, sound asleep. "Aww, Meatlug. Don't they look cute?"

Knowing that his two friends really cared for one another, but were not yet ready to admit it, he decided to spare them both the embarrassment of waking in their current position.

Toothless raised his head as Fishleggs approached. "Help me out, boy," he whispered as he carefully took hold of Astrid and lay her flat on the ground, then covered her with the blanket. Toothless managed to do the same for Hiccup, so they were no longer touching and were instead faced away from each other. "They'll have to admit it eventually, but it doesn't have to be today."

Toothless nodded and curled around his rider, protectively.

When Hiccup finally woke, Fishleggs and Astrid were already up and readying their dragons. He pulled himself to his feet and stretched. Running his fingers through his hair he was startled to have them catch on something stiff. He felt around and smirked at the tiny braid that Astrid had finally managed to secure.

"Morning sleepy head," Astrid greeted, tossing him a piece of cheese for breakfast.

"Hey!" Grinning like an idiot he fingered the braid again. "You did it!"

"Yep." She slapped at his hands. "And don't you dare pull it out after all my hard work!"

He offered her a small bow. "I shall wear it proudly, Milady."

"Good." Astrid was enormously pleased by his response, but she pretended to shrug it off as she mounted Stormfly. "Let's get home before your dad starts to worry."

Hiccup mounted Toothless. "He never stops worrying." His father was insanely over protective of him.

"Hey, he's not as bad as he used to be," Fishleggs offered as they all flew up into the air. "At least he doesn't keep you chained up with Gobber."

"No, that's something I guess."

"It's just because he loves you, Hiccup."

"I know, I just wish he'd learn to trust me a little more."

"He does trust you, but he'll never stop being a father and you'll never stop being his son. He will always want you to be safe."

Hiccup thought again about the great white dragon. Could it be representing his father's wish that he follow in the footsteps of chief, or something more sinister?

* * *

Hiccup dropped down on the steps of the great hall and sighed. What a fantastic night this had been. It had started normally enough, they returned from their supply hunt for Gothi, then everyone fed their dragons and followed up with several hours of training. He'd warned the twins to back off of Snotlout and told Snotlout he was not being haunted or cursed. He let his friends duke it out themselves, and headed to Gobber's where he'd only been an hour late work.

When Astrid showed up at the forge later in the day to asked him to join her in the great hall for dinner, well- that was almost like a date! When they entered the hall Hiccup found almost all of Berk had showed up to surprise him for his seventeenth birthday!

Astrid had apparently known all along, in fact she had organized it. There was music and games and lots of food, including the twin's yak-butter parfee, of which he'd had two helpings. Snagldorf had brewed a special new ale for the occasion, which wasn't half bad considering his usual mixtures, and everyone had given him a small gift.

It had been the first time Hiccup had ever, truly, felt accepted by the people of Berk, and then his father, instead of presenting him with a weapon that Hiccup never intended to use, gave him with a new leather bound sketch book and several months' supply of squid ink.

Hiccup had been so overwhelmed at the idea that finally, finally his father understood him, he'd had to step outside to avoid an emotional confrontation that would have embarrassed them both. He caressed the Night Fury symbol that had been painstakingly stitched onto the front and back covers of the book; no doubt Gobber's handiwork. For a guy with a hook for a hand he was amazing with a needle and thread.

Now, with his belly full, the music still blasting from inside and his heart brimming with happiness, Hiccup stared up at the night sky, closed his eyes and thanked Odin for making this his life. Granted, the first fifteen years had been a nightmare, but nowadays, his life was pretty darn good.

"Are you praying?"

The teasing in Astrid's voice made him smile and he opened his eyes as she settled on the steps beside him. "Good evening, Milady."

She nudged him with her shoulder. "So, were you surprised?"

"Could have knocked me over with a feather."

She smirked. "That's nothing new."

"Hey!" He nudged her back. "Be nice." He turned the book over in his hands. "It's my birthday."

"So it is, and how _does_ it feel to be seventeen?"

"Much better than it did to be the first fifteen."

Astrid's smile slipped as she considered all that Hiccup had endured in his life; all the ridicule and dismissal; all the villager's comments about him being useless and not a real Viking. She'd had to deal with ridicule as well, because of what happened with her uncle Fin with the Flightmare, but thanks to Hiccup they'd learned the truth about the glowing dragon and had restored her family's honor. She had done a lot for her family's reputation as well by forging her own path and gaining their respect as a warrior.

Hiccup had shown his bravery a hundred times, shown that despite being the smallest of them he was by no means the weakest. He'd grown taller in the last year and a half and had started to fill out, certainly not with the mass of muscle that other Vikings possessed, but for Hiccup it was just the right amount. He could be considered thin, but no longer scrawny.

He had proven that one day he would be a good chief, because he was intelligent, diplomatic and slow to anger, as long as no one threatened his dragon. And yet, it seemed no matter what Hiccup did for their community, how he changed or matured, or how many times he saved them, there were still people who would be the first to accuse him when something they didn't understand happened. It infuriated her.

Swallowing that anger, she patted his knee. "Well, those days are long gone."

Hiccup hoped they were, but one thing he had learned was that Vikings were a fickle breed. Still, for tonight, he'd pretend that his people did give a damn about him, at least for this one night.

"You made a nice haul," she stated of the gifts he'd been given. "Any particular one you like the best?"

"Obviously." He lifted the notebook, watched her smile. "I could have done without the painting of Snotlout."

"It was very generous of him to give that to you, and to offer to hang it in your room for you too," she giggled.

"Yeah. Like I wanna wake up looking at that every day."

"Well, you're not done yet." She pulled out a wrapped parcel from behind her back. "Here's mine."

"Aww, Astrid." Touched, he set his book down and accepted the package. "You didn't have to get me anything. You planned this whole party; that was more than enough." Far more than he could ever have expected, really.

She shrugged and tugged at the braid still in his hair. "I know, but I wanted to give you a little something."

He smiled shyly at her and carefully untied the string. He pulled back the cloth and stared at the small painted statue in his hands. "Oh!" he whispered, awed at the sight of him riding a Night Fury in full, glorious color.

"It's oak, your dad helped with some of the whittling." She pointed to the figures prosthetic leg. "I couldn't seem to get that quite right, but I painted it all myself." When he only continued to stare at the gift in his hands, she worried he didn't like it. "You don't have to keep it. I mean, it's doesn't look exactly like Toothless but..."

"It's perfect." He threw his arms around her, suddenly and hugged her, hard. "Oh, Astrid! Thank you, so, so much." He pulled back and caressed the small sculpture reverently. "It's the best gift ever."

She smiled, relieved, because she'd worked on it for almost six months, trying to get it just right. "I'm glad."

An idea struck him, a funny one, perhaps inspired by the two ales he had been encouraged to consume or the general feeling of pleasure that filled him, but he decided to roll with it. He made a show of, very lightly, punching Astrid's shoulder, nudging her sideways without applying any real force.

"That's for not telling me about the party," he teased, watched her grin, then he made his move, dipping his head down, and for the first time ever _he_ kissed _her_. "And that's for everything else."

When she gaped at him he knew he'd made a mistake and he pulled back, uneasily. What had he been thinking? Astrid kissed him, he never kissed her. Oh Gods, she probably thought him a complete fool and he'd just ruined the whole evening.

Hiding behind his usual sarcasm and wit, which was really his only defence, he pushed his shoulder forward, closed his eyes and braced for the punch she would give him. "Go ahead," he sighed, resigned. "Try not to dislocate it, as we still have to train tomorrow."

When several long seconds passed and he didn't receive his punishment he opened one eye and peered at her. "Um...aren't you going to hit me?"

"No."

He slowly relaxed his shoulder, but remained wary. If she wasn't going to deliver her usual punch then she must be planning something much worse. "Um...Dad won't like a lot of blood on the steps, s...should we move down?"

She shook her head and continued to stare at him.

Confused, worried and suddenly in fear for his life he started to slide further away from her, only to have her catch his tunic and hold him in place. Oh, here it comes. Again he closed his eyes and flinched, waiting for the impact.

He was stunned when the blow came, not to his arm, stomach or head, but to his lips, in the form of a soft, warm kiss. His eyes flew open, confirmed it was actually Astrid kissing him, then fluttered closed again of their own volition.

Odin's Beard! This wasn't her usual quick peck, nor anything like the sweet, lingering one she had given him after throwing the Thawfest Games for Snotlout. This was a full out, no holds barred kiss! At least, he thought it was, having never been really kissed like this before he couldn't know for sure, but regardless it felt amazing and seemed to last, well, forever!

When it seemed she was about to pull away, his hand came up and cupped the back of her neck so that the kiss would continue. He didn't know how he could be so bold, he only knew he didn't want the kiss to end. And she wasn't ending it, she was wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him deeper.

When they parted, he stared at her, flushed, embarrassed and completely bewildered. He was sure his heart was about to burst through his chest and land in her lap, and wouldn't _that_ be awkward? Words failed him, completely and utterly and he could do nothing but watch as she rose.

"Um...I..." She flushed, she hadn't meant to do that, hadn't meant to kiss him like that. She didn't even know she could kiss like that. Gods, what was she thinking? "Happy b...birthday, Hiccup," she managed and darted back up the steps and into the hall.

Once inside she leaned against the closed door as if trying to keep out a Whispering Death. "What is wrong with me?" She touched her fingers to her lips, she could still taste Hiccup! His mouth was so soft, so tender, so..."Get a grip!" she told herself as Ruffnut sauntered over and handed her an ale. "She'd kissed him plenty of times. This was no different!

"Hey, where'd you go? This party is rockin'! Great job by the way."

"Yeah...uh...thanks." Astrid gulped down the full tankard of ale, wiped her mouth and handed it back to Ruffnut. It was different, it as a totally different kiss and she needed to face this. She was no coward, she'd go back out and talk to Hiccup. Explain she'd only meant it as a...a celebration kiss. Yeah, nothing personal just...just a...

Oh, who was she kidding? She'd kissed Hiccup! A full out, passion filled kiss! She needed to talk to him, needed to clear the air. He'd looked so confused so...embarrassed. And what did she do, she ran, like a coward. Well, she'd put things right between them again, blame it on the ale or the moonlight or something other than the idea that she had wanted to kiss him that way for two years! She wouldn't let this ruin their friendship.

"Hey, Astrid!"

She turned at the sound of her name and suddenly found Snotlout's mouth on hers. Her reflexes was sluggish, either from the ale or what the kiss with Hiccup and so it took her a few seconds to peel him off of her. When she did she saw Hiccup standing in the doorway of the great hall, his expression one of hurt and confusion.

"Hiccup!"

He bolted.

"Hiccup!"

"Come on As-rid, nuder kissy..."

She punched Snotlout, hard and didn't wait to see if he got up, for she was charging out the door.

Astrid pulled open the heavy door again and stepped back out, but she found the steps empty and her gut twisted in concern. Running down the hill that led to the great hall, she caught sight of Toothless streaking across the sky, his rider on his back.

"Hiccup!"


	6. Avoidance and Denial

Thanks everyone for reading. I apologize if some of your reviews are not showing, I noticed that I am getting them in my email alerts, but not all of them are on the site. I do thank all who have reviewed. This one and the next chapter will have a little more angst than the others, but I don't think I overdid it. Let me know what you think. HTTYD characters are absolutely not mine, but boy would I like them to be.

* * *

**Avoidance and Denial  
**

Gobber handed off his last order to the Viking at the window, then turned back to his young apprentice. Something was off with Hiccup and he meant to get to the bottom of it. The boy had actually been at the forge working before Gobber and while that wasn't strictly unusual, Gobber worried that Hiccup had been there all night.

Every order from the last week had been finished, as well there were two new dragon saddles and now Hiccup was in the back working on some sort of metal device that had a complex number of positions. The boy had hardly said two words to him all morning, not at all like the chatty boy he had come to know and love.

"So, Hiccup," Gobber began, once more trying to engage the youth in conversation. "That was some party last night."

"Yeah." Hiccup studied his sketch, then reached into the saddlebag he'd set on the work table and withdrew a small vile of green, smoky liquid.

"What's that you've got there?"

"Zippleback gas," he stated carefully pouring the liquid into the new device.

"And what are you going to do with it?"

"Nothing much."

Now Gobber knew something was wrong. Hiccup always liked to discuss his new inventions, and always showed them off to him first.

"Something on your mind, Hiccup?"

"No."

"You sure about that?"

Hiccup was silent.

"Okay then." Gobber moved back towards the front of the shop just as Astrid entered. "Good morning, Astrid."

"Morning, Gobber. Is Hiccup here?"

"Why sure, he's..." Gobber pointed to the worktable and scowled. "Well, he was here a second ago." He smiled at her. "Probably decided to deliver those two saddles he finished."

"Oh." Astrid looked at the ground.

"Can I give him a message for you?"

"I...I found a note on my door from Hiccup asking me to do the training today. I...just wanted to see if he was okay and...ask if there was anything particular he wanted me to run through."

"I'll tell him to come find you when he returns, no worries."

She nodded. "Yeah, okay. Thanks."

"Not at all, lass. Not at all."

Hiccup had stepped out to the back where the scrap metal was the moment he spotted Astrid coming towards him. Unfortunately, he met Snotlout coming down the hill.

"Hey, Hiccup! Man that was some party last night."

"Yeah." Hiccup started sorting through the scrap.

"Astrid was looked amazing."

Hiccup's hand curled around a metal pipe and for an instant he considered swinging it at the other rider. He took a slow, deep breath.

"Yeah, man she was throwin' back ale and giving away kisses like candy!"

That hurt. Oh, God's that hurt. So their kiss had really meant nothing after all, it was just because she'd had too much to drink. Thor knew she must have been drunk to be kissing Snotlout.

"I have work to do." Hiccup found the piece he was looking for and stepped back into the shop.

"And where did you get off to?" Gobber demanded.

"Out back, I needed a thin piece of metal." Hiccup held up the sliver he'd grabbed and deliberately avoided Gobber's knowing gaze.

"I see. Well, Astrid is looking for you." He walked over and took the device Hiccup had started fiddling with again, out of the young man's hands. "Why aren't you at training?"

"Astrid is doing it today."

"I repeat, why?"

"Be...cause I thought we should all take turns at teaching."

"So, why aren't you there listening to her teach?"

Hiccup snatched his weapon back. "I have work to do."

"You're avoiding her."

"I am not!"

"I know avoidance when I see it, boy." Again he took away Hiccup's new invention. "Now, you tell me what is going on between you two or I'll go ask her."

"You can't!" The words were out before he could stop them. "Gobber, please. Can't you just let it be?"

"Nope. No can do. You two are as close as fire to a dragon and she's the best friend you've got, next to Toothless. If something has happened to change that..."

"Nothing has happened!" Hiccup tried to grab his new weapon, but Gobber only held it out of his reach. "She kissed me, okay!"

Gobber chuckled. "Is that all?" He handed Hiccup back the weapon. "Sure, she kisses you all the time, it's nothing to worry about."

"No, Gobber, not...it was different. This was different."

"How was it different?"

Hiccup tried to explain with his hands but how could he? "It was just...different. More of...more than what...what usually happens."

Gobber's eyes narrowed. "How much more?" he demanded sharply.

Hiccup backed up and raised his hands in defense. "Not! Not _that_ much more."

Gobber stared at him then finally nodded, appeased. "Well, okay then. It seems mighty silly for you to get worked up over a kiss, Hiccup, even if it was more of a kiss than what you usually get."

"It doesn't matter, anyway. Apparently she was kissing everybody."

"Ach, now that doesn't sound like Astrid."

"No, I didn't think so either."

"This sounds like a misunderstanding that needs to be cleared up, so why don't you toddle off and find her and talk this out?"

"I just..." Hiccup dropped the device on the bench and slumped down on his stool. "I don't understand why she did it. I...she didn't seem drunk and I don't know what I'm supposed to do now...now that it's...done."

"Hiccup, you're making a waterspout out of a drop of water. So she kissed you, what do you expect? You're both getting older, you're seventeen now, and it's natural for your relationship with her to progress."

"Progress to what?" Hiccup demanded, panicked. "What do you think it could possibly progress to?" He rose and started to pace. "Astrid and I are friends and..."

"Friends can become lovers, Hiccup, in fact it only makes the relationship that much stronger..."

"No! No, we cannot...she can't..." He turned back to Gobber. "Do you even hear what you're saying?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure of what I'm saying, can't say that I know what you're hearing of what I'm saying, though."

"You're saying that Astrid and I...that me and Astrid could be...become..."

"A couple?" Gobber offered kindly.

"No!"

"For Odin's sake, why not, Hiccup?" Gobber paused as a though occurred to him. "Do ye not like Astrid that way? You two seem so close and I guess we all just assumed..."

"I've loved her since I was five!" Hiccup groaned, dropped down on the stool again and lowered his head to the bench.

"Well, then, there's no problem..."

"Gobber!" Hiccup's head snapped up. "Don't you get it? Astrid doesn't feel that way about me. She _can't_ feel that way about me."

Gobber scratched his head. "I don't understand."

"She can't possibly love..." Hiccup hopped off the stool and waved his hands over himself. "This!"

"You just gestured to all of you."

"I know, right? I'm not her type. In fact I am so not her type that I'm barely the same species."

"Don't be ridiculous, Hiccup. Astrid likes you for who you are, not..." He gestured to the young man's body. "What you're not. You're not giving yourself enough credit, boy. You've done some amazing things these last few years, why you're practically a legend. You've shown who you are and what you can be to the people of Berk. If Astrid doesn't see that, well, you're better off without her in that case."

Hiccup stared at him, confused. "What...what should I do?"

"Well, if it's just a kiss that started all this silliness..."

"She also kissed Snotlout."

Gobber's eyes widened. "Are you sure about that?"

"I saw them. Right after she...she kissed me she was kissing him."

"Oh now, that doesn't sound like her at all. She can barely stand Snotlout."

"Well, like you said, we're getting older and...and..."

"And nothing. I don't know what it is you saw, but I know that girl would never be meaning to kiss Snotlout, or any of those other blokes, really. She likes you, Hiccup."

"As a friend..."

Gobber sighed in frustration. "You're makin' this harder than it has to be, boy."

"Well...what...what do I do, Gobber? I can't even face her now. I just...I just don't know what to do."

"Well, as I see it you have two options."

"Which are?"

"Act like it never happened, put it behind you, and go back to being the friends that you were."

Hiccup supposed he could try to do that, maybe after a few days, weeks. Maybe he could take an extended trip on his own somewhere until he was ready to face her. "And the...second option?"

Gobber grinned widely. "Walk up to her, plant a whopping big kiss on her lips and, if she doesn't kill you, assume that she does like you as more than a friend and move forward with the relationship."

"You're killing me here, Gobber."

"No, you're killing yourself."

"I...I can't just go up and kiss Astrid!"

"Why not?"

"What if she doesn't want me to? What if you're wrong and she doesn't like me as more than a friend and she takes offense?"

"Well, then I'll make sure the ship we send you to Valhalla in is spotless and shiny."

"Oh, yeah, that helps."


	7. Kiss and Tell

HTTYD characters are absolutely not mine, but boy would I like them to be.

* * *

**KISS AND TELL**

Hiccup had managed to avoid Astrid for most of the day, so far. Despite his talk with Gobber, he just couldn't face her yet. It would be amazing if Gobber was right and that Astrid did want a real relationship with him, but he lived in the real world and he knew that girls like Astrid did not marry hiccups.

He was sitting on his usual peak, watching the sunset when he heard the rustling of wings behind him. He caught sight of Stormfly and her blond rider, and immediately hopped up on his dragon's back, "Toothless, up."

However, the Night Fury chose to lay flat instead and stretch out, well aware that his rider had been running away from Astrid all day. While he did not fully understand why his two favourite humans were avoiding each other, he would not be an enabler to their little war.

"Toothless!" Hiccup was shocked at his dragon's deliberate disobedience. "Now is not the time to assert your dominance!"

Toothless huffed and calmly closed his eyes as Stormfly and Astrid landed beside them.

Gods! Hiccup slid off Toothless, reluctantly. "No fish for you tonight," he muttered under his breath, causing Toothless to whine morosely, but he didn't get up from his position.

Astrid hopped off her dragon. "Here you are," she said. "I've been looking all over for you."

"Yes, here I am," he replied.

Stuck and forced to face the music because of a stubborn dragon. He dropped back into his spot, facing away from her and stared out over the ocean.

Astrid stared at him, startled by his abruptness. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea after all? She looked at Toothless, who raised his head, encouragingly.

Slowly, leaving an appropriate amount of space between them, she settled beside Hiccup. "The training went well," she offered. "I only had to beat on Snotlot twice."

"Why didn't you just kiss him again?"

"Hiccup! What...what you saw was Snotlout, a very drunk Snotlout kissing me. If you had stuck around you would have seen me deck him."

Hiccup shrugged but could feel some of the weight on his chest ease. "You...you're free to kiss whoever you want, Astrid."

No she wasn't, because the only person she wanted to kiss was him. "Well, gee, thanks for your permission, Hiccup."

He flushed, he wasn't giving his permission; he had no say in the matter. "I...I'm sorry. That...I didn't mean...you..."

"Can we just forget about Snotlout? Please?"

He nodded and then fell silent again. When he didn't speak for several minutes Astrid bit her lip and lowered her eyes to the grass.

Hiccup was startled when a tail smacked him in the face and he glared back at Toothless, who indicated that he should talk to Astrid. Okay then, option one, forget it and try to be friends.

"So...um...maybe we can...ah...switch out the training from now on. You know, I'll do one, then you, then...me."

"I'd like that." She hesitated, then slid a little closer and put her hand on his leg. "Hiccup?"

"Why did you kiss me?" he demanded suddenly, then flushed. Where had that come from? Sure he been asking himself that question all day but that was because he hadn't the courage to ask her. He was sure he wouldn't like her answer.

"I...I don't know." She plucked out some blades of grass. "I guess...because I wanted to."

"Because you'd been drinking?"

"We'd both been drinking, Hiccup!" She took a deep breath. "I wasn't drunk and you were hardly protesting when it happened!"

His face glowed crimson and he turned slightly away from her. "I'm sorry."

His words both hurt and frustrated her. "Why?"

He shrugged, wrapped his arms around his good knee and kept his gaze on the water.

"Why are you sorry, Hiccup?" She considered the question herself and felt a cramp in the pit of her stomach. "Did...didn't you like it?"

"Yes!" Hiccup bit his lip, recovered and continued in a softer voice. "Of...of course I did."

"Then why do you need to apologize?"

He didn't know why, he only felt that he should. "Why did you kiss me," he asked again.

She growled at him, unwilling to admit her feelings when he was apologizing for kissing her. Did that mean he hadn't meant to kiss her back? Hadn't meant to prolong their kiss or make her feel like they were the only two people in the world at that very moment?

"What does it matter?"

"Because, Astrid!" He looked at her, frustrated, then away again. "I...I don't understand why you would kiss...me...like that. Why me, Astrid? Were you just trying it out until you got to Snotlout?"

"Gods! It was just a kiss, Hiccup!" She crossed her arms over her chest, defensively. She had to convince him of that because she was suddenly terrified that she was about to lose the one thing that meant everything to her, their friendship. "You never complained before about my kissing you!"

"I'm not complaining! And you never, _ever_ kissed me like that before, Astrid. Not like that."

"It was just a kiss..." she said again, frantic. "Just a..."

Her eyes widened for a split second before she felt his mouth on hers and all her fear and anger and frustration melted away as her arms crept around his neck. Her lips parted and invited him in further, and just as a sigh started to leak out from between her lips, he released her.

She blinked at him, stupefied.

"Was that just a kiss, Astrid?" he demanded, breathlessly, deciding that Gobber's option two was all he had left to go with. "Was that just an ordinary every day kiss that needs no explanation?"

She was startled to feel tears sting her eyes. "I...I'm sorry, Hiccup." Was he trying to tell her that there could be nothing more between them? That he didn't want her kisses? That she disgusted him in some way, or that she was only deluding herself by thinking he cared for her as more than just a friend?

She rose suddenly and bolted to Stormfly, but at a rumbling from Toothless the Deadly Nadder took to the air, tilted her head at Astrid in apology, then flew off.

"Stormfly!" she cried, shocked. Stormfly had never done that before! She would never abandon her like that!

Hiccup had also climbed to his feet and glared at Toothless, knowing the Night Fury had told the other dragon to go. They would have to have a good, long talk about what was acceptable behavior when they got home.

Astrid crossed her arms over her chest, then started to walk down the cliff, if she had to she'd swim back to Berk. She was startled when Toothless jumped in front of her and refused to let her pass.

"What...what's he doing?" she demanded backing up.

Hiccup sighed, resigned. "Apparently he wants us to talk, and he won't let either of us go anywhere until we work this out."

"We don't need to work anything out. You've made it clear that you don't want...that I stepped over the line and...Don't worry; I'll keep my hands and my lips to myself from now on and..."

"Astrid, I never said any of that." Hiccup ran fingers through his hair, pulled.

She turned on him, her shame turning to fury. "You don't have to! You've been avoiding me all day, and then when we talk you yell at me and...I'm not stupid, Hiccup. I can take a hint."

"A hint at what?" he cried. "Dear Gods, what hint? I just asked you why you kissed me!"

"I told you why?"

"Because you wanted to?"

"Yes!"

"But why? In the name of Thor, why would you want to kiss _me _like that?" he demanded slapping at his chest hard enough to make her flinch. "Because you feel sorry for me? Because you like to torment me? Because you think it's funny? Why?"

"Because I love you, you idiot!" she screamed back at him, then slapped her hands over her mouth and watched him sway, then drop to his hands and knee. She rushed to him. "Hiccup? Hiccup, what's wrong?"

He had not expected that. Of all the things she could have said, that had been the one thing he had not even imagined her saying. All of the breath left his body in that single moment, his heart, had his heart stopped beating? He couldn't feel it anymore, and he...he couldn't stand. His head was swimming, his leg was shaking, and then, there he was on the ground, on all fours like a sick sheep, with tears filling his eyes.

"Hiccup." Astrid put her arm around his shoulder. "Oh, Hiccup, what is it? What's wrong?"

He wrapped his hands around his middle, he felt like a Whispering Death had hold of his rib cage. "You...you said I was yak fodder," he whispered, staring at the ground, trying to make sense of what he had just heard. "That...that I'd blow away in the wind."

"Oh, Hiccup, I never meant..."

"No. No!" He closed his eyes tightly appalled at how badly he was shaking, so much that he couldn't feel Astrid's hands or Toothless' head prodding him. Why was she doing this? How could she say that to him? "You...you said if you ever had to...to be with someone like me you'd throw yourself into the mouth of a Monstrous Nightmare."

"Hiccup! No! I never said that!"

"You did! You...I was there!" He remembered it all, it was the day he'd given up any hope for a life outside of solitude; for a normal life of a Viking with friends and family. "When I was eleven...I was standing right there w...when you told that to Ruffnut, about the dragon. I was standing right there."

Astrid paled. She remembered the other girls teasing her about Hiccup, saying he had a crush on her, and she had set the straight in the most brutal way possible. But she hadn't meant it, not really and she never imagined he would have overheard her, or that he would still remember it. "I...you were there?"

He lowered his head, miserably and started to rock. "You didn't see me, you never did. No one ever did."

All this time? All this time he had suffered in silence, never saying an unkind word to her or anyone when they were mean to him. In the years they had been friends, he had never once mentioned how it had hurt him when she dismissed him, or demanded an apology for ignoring him when he tried to talk to her, or moving away when he would try and sit next to her.

"I'm sorry," she whispered and knew it wasn't enough, couldn't be enough to make up for all she and others had done to him. Of course he didn't love her, how could he? She had caused him pain. "I'm so, so very sorry for everything I said, everything I did."

"I don't...I don't..." He couldn't get the words out, his mind was reeling.

"I was a stupid, stupid kid, Hiccup. I, you...Please, please forgive me for hurting you, for treating you differently."

"Don't...love...Don't..."

"No!" Her heart broke as she forced herself to put him first, to make up for her past transgressions. "I don't expect you to love me back and it's okay. We are friends, we can still be friends. Can't we still be friends, Hiccup?"

Hiccup managed to finally rise enough to sit down on his backside, but the look in his eyes, as he stared at her completely shattered her. Oh, Gods, he was crying! She'd made him cry!

"I'm so, so sorry, Hiccup. Please forgive me." She put her head on his knee and started to cry. "Please don't push me away. Please let us still be friends and...and..."

"I...don't want...need you to be...sorry." Hiccup struggled to compose himself, then caught her face between his hands. "You love... _me_?" It wasn't a question, so much as a desperate request for confirmation, and despite her fear that he would only reject her again, Astrid nodded. "_You_... love me." His eyes widened as the full force of the truth hit him. "Great Thor Almighty, you love me!"

And then she was in his arms and he was holding her so tightly she almost couldn't breathe, but she didn't care. She never knew Hiccup had the strength to cling so hard, never knew how good it would feel to have his arms all the way around her like this.

"I do," she murmured against his neck. "I do, Hiccup. I really do. I know you don't love me back and...that's okay. I...I don't expect you to now, after...after everything else and..."

He pulled back long enough to stare into her eyes. "Not love you?" He looked at her as if she was a new species of dragon he had just discovered, and the glow of wonder in his eyes was mesmerizing. "Astrid, I've loved you almost all my life."

"W...what?" She sat back even further, shocked. The fact of that in the face of past her treatment of him was almost unbearable. "W...why didn't you ever say anything?"

"I...I never thought you would...that anyone could ever...love me. Especially not you, the most amazing warrior on Berk."

All this time he had loved her and she never knew, never bothered to see. "Oh...Oh, I'm a horrible person!"

"No! No you're not, Astrid. Trust me," He cradled her face, wiped at her tears with the pads of his thumbs. "I've met horrible, and treacherous and deranged. You're nothing like any of them."

Astrid melted in love and relief and slipped back into his arms. They fit so perfectly together, did he notice? Did he notice how well they fit together? "Oh, Hiccup. I'm sorry I never said anything before, I...I just...I didn't know how and...and I thought." She wiped at her tears then slid her hand back around him. "It's hard being tough all the time. I...I thought if I was too tender, too...girly you'd...you'd laugh at me."

"I would never dare laugh at you, Astrid." Then he added. "I like living too much."

She chuckled against him, smacked at his arm. "You better just remember that."

"I could never forget it."

He pulled back, stared into her eyes. "Can...can you tell me again? Just...just one more time so I know it's real?"

"I love you, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III," she stated and promised herself to say it to him at least ten times a day from now on, until he believed her.

He sighed. "That sounds...so amazing."

"Again?"

He blushed. "Okay."

"I love you." She kissed his cheek. "I love you." His eyelids, his nose. "I absolutely love you." Her lips touched his, she felt him tense for half a second before he relaxed into it. She slid her arms around his waist, revelled in the feel of his arms tentatively sliding around her, pulling her closer as he stole her breath, her heart, her love.

"I love you, Astrid." He whispered as they broke apart, obviously greatly affected by their kiss. He pulled her in close again, closed his eyes and prayed that this wasn't all a dream.

They sat that way, in each other's arms, quietly watching as the sun slowly set.

Finally, Astrid spoke. "So...what do we do now?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, do we tell everyone, make an announcement? I mean, everyone thinks we're just friends. This will probably come as quite a shock."

Hiccup considered the things Gobber had said and smirked. "Maybe, not so much." He rose, offered her his hand. "Besides, why do we have to say anything? We're still friends, still teammates. We'll still be working together and training together. Let people think what they want to think."

"Do you think it will really be that easy?" she asked as she climbed up onto Toothless, who was finally willing to leave.

Hiccup scratched Toothless under the chin, murmured a private thank you to the dragon then climbed on behind Astrid. "I don't see why not. We're Vikings and we ride dragons. Anything is possible."


	8. Festival of Ostara

_Hi everyone! Thanks so much everyone for the reviews! This one is a little campy, but again it was a scene that was stuck in my head. I hope I am not making Hiccup seem too pathetic, but I have always felt it odd that he just suddenly considered himself accepted after years of neglect, so there you are_. Also I went back in the last chapter and changed the age Hiccup was when he overheard Astrid to eleven instead of fourteen, as I lost track of how old he was. Sorry. **_*note: The festival of Ostara is a Norse tradition and actually where the traditions of Easter originated, before it became a Christian holiday._**

_HTTYD characters not mine. Please, please review if you are enjoying the story._

* * *

**FESTIVAL OF OSTARA**

Astrid knocked on Hiccup's door and smiled when he opened it.

"Did you get your eggs done?"

"That's a very personal question, Astrid."

She rolled her eyes. "For the Festival of Ostara."

"Ah."

Hiccup knew that the festival was tomorrow, but he had never really participated. His father would try and convince him to go to the festival every year and every year Hiccup would refuse. He had gone once, when he was six, and he had been miserable the entire time.

One of the customs was to give colored eggs to your friends and loved ones, but the only eggs Hiccup had gotten were from his father and Gobber, and the few eggs he had tried to give others were quickly discarded, over his head.

He'd spent the whole night standing in the corner, trying to be invisible so the bigger boys would stop bullying him, and so no one would see that he only had two eggs in his bowl. It had been horribly embarrassing and, filled with rage and shame, he'd broken his tribute bowl later that evening. He didn't care to ever go to another festival again.

"You...you know, it isn't really my thing, Astrid," he said as he moved back into the house and she followed.

"But you have to go! Everyone goes to the festival, Hiccup."

"No, not everyone."

"Please, Hiccup. " She stopped put her hand on his arm. "Things are different now. You have friends and people who care about you."

He lifted his hand helplessly. "I...I haven't even made any eggs."

"I'll help you make the some," she decided. "I have some extra from the ones I was making and we can decorate them together."

"Astrid..."

"You have a proper tribute bowl don t you? If not you can use one of mine, I have two."

"Why do you have two?"

"Because I always get more eggs than I can carry home in just one."

"Right, of course." Astrid was one of the most popular girls on Berk. "Look, Astrid, I think it's better if I just skip it this year. Maybe next..." Or maybe never.

"But if you don't come I can't give you _your_ egg."

He stared at her with a mixture of surprise, embarrassment and pleasure. "You...you made me an egg?"

She sighed heavily and rolled her eyes. "Of course I did! You're my boyfriend..."

"But no one knows that!"

"And," she continued. "You're my best friend. Did you really think I wouldn't give you an egg?"

"I...I...never really thought about it one way or the other." That was a total lie, ever since people started talking about the festival he had wondered if Astrid and he should exchange one, but he'd been too shy to ask.

"Actually," she began with a sigh, trying another tactic. "I've made you an egg the last three years, Hiccup, but you never came." It wasn't acceptable to give an egg outside of the festival, as it was meant to be for participants of the celebration. "Now, are you going to shame me by showing I have eggs left over again?"

"I..." He flushed. "I didn't know." He paused. Wait, the last three years? It was only two years ago that he'd chased his father to the Island of Dragons and defeated the queen. "T...three years?" he squeaked.

"Yes." Astrid felt her face grow hot.

She had started liking Hiccup when they were both eleven, well over a year and a half before he became the trainer of dragons, but had not known how to tell him. She'd wanted to be his friend, he always seemed so alone, so different from everyone else and so damn accepting that he didn't need or want friends. That angered her. Plus, by gosh he was cute, and funny with that sarcastic wit of his.

She'd thought the Festival of Ostara would be a good icebreaker, and had even hinted that he should go by always bringing it up when he was around. Not directly of course, she had been too shy to directly ask him, and okay maybe she was a little worried about what her friends would say.

But when he hadn't shown for the festival, yet again, she had been offended that she'd went to the trouble of making him a special egg, after months of wrestling with her decision on if she should or not. She'd taken it outside and thrown it at his house in anger. It was the day after she's said that horrible thing about preferring death in a dragon's mouth to being with him, because he had hurt her.

It was another full year before she'd forgiven him for embarrassing her, even though he'd had no idea how he had done that. Then, of course, she had something else to fuel her ire, as he suddenly became such a great warrior in dragon training and was making her look useless at every turn.

That was all before she knew about Toothless and following him that night had less to with her pride and more to do with why he was suddenly so confident and successful. She'd been drawn to him again, and she hated it. Drawn to his apparent helplessness at first, then, despite herself, to his skills with the dragons.

Her feelings had been stirred up again, and she was at war with herself because she was also angry and frustrated that he was beating her in the arena. She didn't want to give in and be hurt again. So she had followed him on that night, spotted a Night Fury and her first thought had been for Hiccup. She'd thrown him behind her and been prepared to give her life to save him, but then he had tackled her to the ground, shoved her axe away and the next thing she knew she was on the back of a Night Fury and riding through the clouds. She'd fallen back in serious like with him again, and her feelings just grew from there.

"Astrid, I'm sorry I didn't even think..."

She poked her finger into his chest. "For your information there have been several people with left over eggs because of you."

"R...really?" Hiccup couldn't fathom who else might have intended to gift him other than his father and Gobber. Maybe that was what she meant? No, they knew he didn't attend the festival. Then who?

Stoick entered, with a large woven basket. "Hello, Astrid," he greeted with a smile as he set the basket on the table. "You're just in time to help us make our Ostara tributes."

Hiccup slapped his hand to his face as he stared at the hen's eggs and colored dye. "Dad! No."

"Son, yes." Stoick gently pushed Toothless' nose away from the basket. "Not for you."

Toothless pouted and shuffled back.

"Don't worry," Astrid assured, scratching the dragon's head. "You'll get yours tomorrow."

Toothless seemed content with that and watched with intense curiosity as Stoick started setting out the eggs, jars of colored dye and several brushes, his eyes following each movement of the larger Viking's hands.

"Dad, I don't think..."

Stoick settled at the table, picked up an egg and a brush. "Sit, Hiccup."

Hiccup sat, defeated, and accepted the items from his father.

"Now, your mother was much better at this than I ever was, but we'll make due." Stoick reached for another egg and brush. "Feel free to experiment, make them any color you like, or several colors if you want. Just keep in mind who you're going to give each egg to."

Astrid grinned at Hiccup and reached her hand into the basket for her supplies. "It's easy Hiccup. We'll be done in no time."

Hiccup looked from the brush to the egg in his hand, lifted his eyes skyward, then dipped the brush into the yellow dye, muttering to himself.

Stoick, to pass the time as they painted, told stories of when he was a child and attended the festival. Astrid laughed through most of them, Hiccup smirked a few times.

When Toothless got too curious and dipped his nose into the green dye, he crossed his eyes at the blotch and tried to paw it off. Stoick roared with laughter.

"Here, bud," Hiccup pressed an egg against the Night Fury's nose, rolled it over the top so it created an interesting textured look on the shell.

"Hey! That's cool!"Astrid decided, reached across the table and did the same thing with her egg. "Oh, it's really pretty!"

Hiccup grinned. "Good job, Toothless."

Delighted to have pleased his friends, the dragon proceeded to put his nose into all the jars, individually and sometimes combining colors and letting them rub their eggs over his nose. When he got a little to exuberant and broke the shell on one, he calmly licked the egg off, smacked his lips at the tasty treat and grinned at them with his tongue hanging out.

After a while, Astrid noticed that Hiccup had started to brood again, and slapped him on the cheek with her paint brush, leaving a bright orange splotch.

"Hey!"

"Opps," she smiled at him. "Sorry, brush slipped."

He scowled then started to paint his egg again. When a blue blob landed on his ear he glared at her. "Astrid!"

Again her look was one of innocence.

Toothless, deciding that this must be part of the ritual pressed his wet nose against Astrid's face, marking her with a scaly yellow and blue patch.

"Toothless!" she cried, shocked and Stoick's belly laugh surrounded them. She glared at Hiccup who was trying not to laugh. "Don't you dare!"

When he failed and a giggle escaped Astrid dipped her fingers into the dye and left a black, hand print on Hiccup's forehead.

"Milady," he said quietly. "This means war."

She squealed as he grabbed a jar and jammed his hand in. She jumped up and tried to dodge but he landed a mark on her retreating back.

Stoick started to bark at them for making a mess, but then he realized he'd rarely heard Hiccup laugh out loud like that, and those times were usually when he was interacting with Toothless. Otherwise, his son offered a polite, coughing sort of laugh, like he didn't really find something funny but would pretend he did, or a deliberate, groaning Ha Ha, coated with sarcasm and a roll of his eyes.

Toothless made Hiccup happy, but Stoick knew his son needed to learn to be happy with people too. So he decided to say nothing, smiled contentedly as he carefully finished his eggs and hummed as he watched the two youths and dragon fairly destroy his living room in an attempt to paint each other.

Afterwards, Hiccup sat in their indoor tub, nicely heated thanks to Toothless. They'd cleaned up the mess their antics had left in the house and placed their eggs in the cupboard to dry overnight. Astrid headed off to get cleaned up and he decided to do the same.

The dye was mostly fruit and berry based so he was able to get most of it off with some soap and really hard scrubbing. He submerged his head under the water to rinse his hair, felt a strange rise of bubbles around him and opened his eyes to see a dark, wide-eyed face staring at him.

He bolted up sputtering with laugher. "Toothless!"

The dragon pulled his head out of the tub and shook it, spraying Hiccup with more water.

"Crazy, reptile." Hiccup muttered affectionately as the Night Fury walked around the tub and gently head-butted him. He gave Toothless a good scratch. "Yeah, you thought you were being funny today, didn't you?"

Toothless grinned at him, dipped one half of his tail into the water and splashed Hiccup again.

"Oh stop it! Don't you play innocent with me." Hiccup rose, accepted the towel that his dragon retrieved for him and stepped out of the tub. "You were just showing off for Astrid. I know you."

Toothless sat there and looked at his friend as if to say 'who me?' then followed Hiccup upstairs, rubbing up against him the whole way.

"Don't try and make up, now." Hiccup dried off and reached for the leather leggings he'd made two weeks ago.

He pulled on the new green tunic which was a thinner, softer wool, so when his leather armor was finished it should easily fit over the tunic. He had to admit, it looked good on him and was the same lime green he favored. It pleased him to wear it, knowing Astrid had made it for him, and it didn't hang on him like his other clothes, but fit him in all the right places.

He stared at the clothes he had been wearing earlier, now splattered with dye and shook his head. "Oh well," he tossed them in the corner for wash day.

Shoving his feet into his boots, he settled at his desk and started to draw details on the pages of his 'flight suit'.

* * *

Hiccup entered the great hall with his father and swallowed nervously at all the people there. He groaned, he's rather be fighting Outcasts than be here with his own people, what did that say about him?

He carefully hefted his small pouch of eggs and followed his father over to the tribute shelves, which circled the hall and were filled with many colorful bowls of all shapes and sizes. All bowls had a Viking's name on them, so people would know where to place their eggs and Hiccup stared at the empty space beside his father's large bowl.

Gods, why did he come? Didn't he have enough to deal with that he shouldn't have to be shamed again?

"Hi, Chief!" Astrid greeted as she set a blue and white bowl next to Stoick's, in the exact place where Hiccup was staring. "Happy Ostara."

"Happy Ostara to you, Astrid." Stoick smiled down at her, and noticed how his son was inspecting the bowl she had just set down.

"It...it has my name on it." Hiccup's eyes widened in surprise as Toothless sniffed at it, curious. The dragon looked at his rider pleased.

Astrid grinned. "Sure it does. You have to have a proper tribute bowl, Hiccup."

It was such a small thing, really, just a bowl with his name painted on it, and yet it meant so very much, far more than Hiccup realized it would. He actual felt tears prick his eyes.

"What are the baskets for, Astrid?" Stoick asked, noticing a pile of baskets stocked by the main doors.

"Well, we couldn't leave our dragons out," she insisted. "So everyone has brought a gift for them too. We'll set them outside and let people put their tributes in once the normal gifting is done."

Toothless wound around her, excited to be part of the celebration.

"Well done." Stoick patted her shoulder then nodded at someone beckoning him. "Well, have fun you two."

Astrid watched the mountain sized man stride across the hall, then turned her attention back to Hiccup, who was still holding his bowl. "Do you like it?"

"Yes."

He was so quiet she almost didn't hear him.

"Are you okay?" She moved closer, put her hand on his shoulder. "If you're really uncomfortable, Hiccup we can leave."

He kept his eyes lowered, shook his head and placed the bowl carefully next to his father's. "No. Not I..." He turned to her, his eyes shining. "Thank you, Astrid."

She hugged him. "Friends forever, Hiccup?"

He smiled and returned her hug. "Friends forever." Friends, lovers, mates, comrades, whatever she gave him he would accept it, whatever she needed from him he would give her. "Forever and ever and ever."

"Hiccup!" Fishleggs cried as he joined them. "You came! I don't remember you ever coming to one of these, but this is wonderful! You'll have fun, I promise and there's a pie eating contest later, and then we'll play pin tail on the yak and the toss the axe, and..."

"Easy there, Fishleggs," Hiccup smirked. "It's my first time, go easy." It was actually his second but he was trying forget that one.

"Hiccup!" Ruffnut waved at them from their table. "Astrid! Get over here before my stupid brother gives away your seats!"

They hurried over and dropped onto the benches.

Hiccup listened to the opening ceremonies, declined the pie eating contest but urged Fishleggs on against Snotlout and several others. He won pin the tail on the Yak and Astrid won the axe toss.

They enjoyed their feast and afterward Stoick announced it was time for the gifting ceremony. Everyone grabbed their pouches and ran around the hall like crazed Vikings, placing eggs in individual bowls, laughing, chatting, some playfully shoving or sputtering in the ensuing madness. Some eggs ended up on the floor, or on other Vikings, but it was tradition to bring extra for just such an occurrence.

Hiccup had gifted all his eggs rather quickly, he'd only had a few that he'd wanted to give away; to his father, Gobber, Gothi and his teammates, of course. He grabbed up the baskets by the door and stepped outside to set up the gifting for the dragons, all of which were quickly corralled by Toothless.

Astrid was out of breath and laughing when she spotted Hiccup leaving the hall. She'd managed to avoid getting 'yolked' in the chaos of the gifting ceremony, and now wandered over to her bowl, which was almost overflowing. She looked around, then carefully started picking through the colored eggs to see if she could guess which one Hiccup had given her.

When she spotted one with a familiar likeness on it she knew it could be from no one else but the Trainer of Dragons. She'd always known Hiccup could draw, but this...this was exquisite. It was a painting of them on Toothless, with fluffy pink clouds flowing above them and Astrid's hands reaching upwards into the mist.

"Oh."

She held the egg to her chest and wondered when he had done it. She'd seen the eggs he'd put in the cupboard, and none of them had been this elaborate. He must have done it after she had gone.

"Oh, Hiccup." She wished she could keep the egg, but you had to cook the eggs that were gifted to you or they would start to smell. Maybe she could try and keep the shell portion, she'd ask Gothi if there was a way; the elder would know how, and she'd make a cake with the egg itself for Hiccup.

Gently, she placed the egg back in her bowl, on top of the pile this time, smiled, and went to find her boyfriend.

She grabbed her pouch of fish and stepped out of the hall to see Hiccup had created a small semi-circle at the bottom of the steps with the baskets and the dragons all seated patiently behind them.

"Great job!" she laughed. "They're almost done in there so they'll be out in a minute."

She descended and greeted each dragon with a smile and quick rub, then she placed a fish in each basket.

When Barf and Belch immediately went to eat it, Toothless growled menacingly and sat deliberately straighter with his head held high. The Zippleback did the same, followed by the other dragons, so that when the rest of the Vikings came out to gift their fish all the dragons were sitting straight and pretty and patiently waited to eat.

When the baskets were full, Toothless looked at Hiccup.

"Have at it, guys."

The dragons immediately devoured their tributes, and then Hiccup watched in amazement, and a touch of disgust, as Toothless regurgitated some of his fish into each of the other dragon's baskets; thus following the tradition of gifting. Stormfly quickly did the same into Toothless' basket, then roared and rubbed her nose with the Night Fury. The others followed suit.

"That's...amazing," Fishleggs whispered, witnessing the scene. "Did you teach them to do that, Hiccup?"

Hiccup smiled and rubbed his dragon's head affectionately. "Nope, but dragons understand more about friendship then we probably ever will."

Astrid took his hand. "Come on, let's go check out our tributes." She didn't mention she had already seen hers.

Hiccup reluctantly followed and was shocked to see that his bowl was over flowing with colored eggs.

"See?" she whispered. "Things change."

Hiccup picked up one of the eggs. "I...I suppose it does."

The music started and she pulled him toward the dance floor.

"Uh...woah! Hello, peg leg?"

So we'll dance slow," she promised and lifted her arm, bent at the elbow with her hand in front of her face, expectantly. "If you can fly a dragon, you can dance, Hiccup."

How could he refuse? He touched his wrist to hers and together they danced a traditional Viking waltz.


	9. Friendship and Flirting

_Just like to take a moment to thank everyone who reviewed:_

_Tasermon's Partner, Shruikan12344, awesomebri66, UnbreakableWarrior tirtlegrrl, shugokage and the guests as well. All reviews are very welcome. This is another cute scene of Hiccup being Hiccup, and hinting at how he is becoming to accept his and Astrid's new relationship. Also someone pointed out I was spelling Fishlegs wrong (DOH!) it is fixed in this chapter._

**FRIENDSHIP AND FLIRTING**

Hiccup and Toothless soared over Berk. "He has to be somewhere, boy."

Toothless murmured in agreement and turned south. Finally, he spotted the familiar bulk of Hiccup's friend and landed in the quarry next to the Gronkle munching on rocks.

"Fishlegs!" Hiccup hopped off Toothless and walked over to his teammate, who as slumped on a large bolder looking miserable. "We've been looking everywhere for you."

"Why?" Fishlegs grabbed some berries and shoved them in his mouth. "Since I'm so useless."

Hiccup settled next to him. "Come on, it...it wasn't that bad."

"No, no it was. Snotlout was right. I may be able to ride a dragon, but I'm no warrior. I can't protect anyone in a hand to hand." He sniffed and grabbed more berries. "I'm just a useless, fat, Viking. I'm not even good enough to be a Viking, I'm just a...a Vike...or an Ing."

Hiccup sighed. Their training session had been going well, until Fishlegs had to battle Snotlout in hand- to-hand. Knowing the brainy Viking was extremely timid when it came to direct confrontation, he had hoped that Fishlegs could gain some confidence by battling his friends first. Unfortunately, Snotlout was his usual idiot self and harassed poor Fishlegs through the entire battle, making Fishlegs even more nervous and clumsy.

When Fishlegs had lost his grip on his hammer and almost took Tuffnut's head off, Ruffnut jumped in on the badgering until finally Fishlegs fled in shame and embarrassment.

"We all have skills unique to ourselves," Hiccup offered kindly. "I know about strategy and dragons, Astrid has speed, Snotlout brawn and you're the brains."

"What are the twins?"

"A constant lesson in patience," Hiccup retorted, relieved when he managed to get a small chuckle from Fishlegs. "The point is, we all have strengths and we all have weaknesses, but together we make a great team."

"But I can't fight! What good is a Viking that can't fight?"

"I'm not exactly a crack shot with an axe myself, you know."

"But that's different, no one expects you to be."

"Hey!"

"No, I mean, you don't look like a fighter."

"Still not feeling the love, here."

"I just mean that people expect Astrid or Snotlout to fight, but you, you're our leader. We count on you to tell us what to do, or you make it so we only have to fight when absolutely necessary. Everyone understands that. " Fishlegs sighed. "But look at me, Hiccup. I outweigh all of you and everyone expects me to be able to carry that weight, not as a scribe but as a fighter."

Hiccup sighed again. "You let yourself be easily intimidated because you lack confidence. That's why I wanted you to do battle drills with us, because we're your friends and you can trust that we won't actually hurt you."

"You mean when Snotlout shoved my face in the dirt and hit me with a barrel he was trying to be _nice_?"

Hiccup shrugged, helplessly. "Okay, so it didn't go exactly the way I wanted, but most things don't. You can't just give up because things don't always go your way." He rolled his eyes and rose. "If I had let myself think that way I would have walked off the nearest cliff years ago."

"I just don't _like_ fighting, Hiccup."

"Nobody likes fighting."

Fishlegs stared at him.

"Okay, so there are a _few_ people who do, but you and I are two that don't. That doesn't mean we can't still be a valued part of the team, that we won't do a good job defending Berk."

"But I won't ever be as good as the others."

"No one expects you to be!" Hiccup assured. "You just need to be as good as you expect you to be." He stared at his friend's sad face. "Look, Fishlegs, I'm all for talking out our issues, but not everyone wants to listen. People like Dagur will always chose to do battle. Knowing how to fight is an integral part of defending Berk. You have to do it, but you don't have to do it like everyone else."

"But what good am I in a fight if I don't have Meatlug? I may as well stay home and let real Vikings fight."

Hiccup rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Being a Viking isn't easy, Fishlegs, trust me, I know, but that's why it's important for you to understand what you're good at and what you're not. Use your weakness to improve your strength."

"What does that even mean?"

"Okay, like with me, no matter how much I practice I'll never be the level of fighter that Snotlout and Astrid are; that's my weakness. Knowing my weakness, I turn to my strength, my inventions, which is why I use my shield for defence and combat. I use my brain because I lack brawn, but I still have to practice my weapons and hand-to-hand because it's a skill we all need. I may never be really good at it, but I have to keep trying and in the meantime, I have Toothless and my shield to defend me and to help defend others."

"But...Hiccup, my strength is statistics, just...just words. How can that be any kind of defence? What am I supposed to do, write a strongly worded note to Alvin requesting he stop attacking us or one to Dagur suggesting he seek professional help?"

Hiccup grinned at the idea, imagined the faces of both Vikings upon receiving such messages. "That's actually not a bad idea," he murmured.

Stormfly landed in the quarry. "There you are." Astrid jumped down and sauntered over to them. "What's going on?"

Fishlegs buried his head in his hands. "I'm a useless Viking."

She smirked and folded her hands across her chest. "Oh, well then, you're in good company. Hiccup thinks he's useless too."

Hiccup gaped at her. "Astrid!"

She crossed her eyes at him.

Fishlegs looked from one to the other. "You don't really think that, do you, Hiccup? I mean, how could you? You're the saviour of Berk! The first ever Dragon Trainer. The..."

Hiccup visibly flinched. "Look, w...we're not talking about me."

"Why not?" Astrid countered and smirked at his glare.

"We're talking about Fishlegs!"

"But...how could _you_ be useless?" Fishlegs insisted.

"Yeah, Hiccup?" Astrid agreed. "How does that work, exactly?"

Hiccup sighed and prayed for patience. "_Everyone," _he said, shooting Astrid a dark look. "Feels useless at some point, Fishlegs. That's normal, but more importantly, that's the reason why you never give into those feelings, or start doubting yourself."

"You have special skills, Fishlegs," Astrid offered, kindly. "_All_ of us..." She glanced at Hiccup just as pointedly as he had her. "...In the Dragon Academy contribute something unique to each other and to the defence of Berk. Not everyone can ride dragons, and not everyone can offer what you do."

"But...what can I offer?"

"Are you kidding?" Hiccup asked, incredulous. "Fishlegs, you know more about dragons than Bork himself!"

Fishlegs flushed, pleased. "Well, I do like to read about them."

"And that has been invaluable to us, Fishlegs," Astrid assured. "How many times have we been in the field with a rogue dragon or a new species we haven't encountered before, and we have relied on your vast knowledge to get us through it?"

"Well, sure but, again, that's just statistics. It's nothing brave..."

"What about when you stood up to those Change Wings who had come for their eggs?" Everyone else fled, but you stayed and made sure they got all of them so that Berk would be safe."

"Right," Hiccup agreed. "Or how about when you followed me down that hole when the Whispering Deaths hatched under our village."

"Well, actually that was..."

"You risked your life to lure the Screaming Death to Outcast Island, and in so doing saved your Chief, your team and everyone on Berk."

Fishlegs flushed, pleased. "Well, sure...but I was terrified the whole time and..."

"Of course you were!" Hiccup tossed up his hands. "A dragon that eats islands was trying to make you its next meal. Anyone would be afraid. I was afraid of what would happen if my plan didn't work, but you still did it. You did what had to be done despite your fear."

"You were afraid, Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked, surprised. "You never seem afraid of anything."

"Hiccup is just wired differently." Astrid smirked at Hiccup, watched him flush. "He experiences fear, he's just afraid of things other than what we might be afraid of."

"Yeah? Like what?"

"The _point_," Hiccup managed through gritted teeth. "Is that no matter how afraid we get, or how afraid you get, you're still right there when your team needs you most."

Astrid nodded. "That sounds like a pretty brave person to me."

Fishlegs regarded them quietly as he considered their words. "I...I guess I'm not completely useless."

"Of course you aren't."

"It's just...I guess I let Snotlout get to me again."

"Well, don't," Astrid ordered as her friend rose. "He can be pretty useless too, but he doesn't walk around moping about it."

Fishlegs smiled at them. "Thanks, guys. I do feel better, and I'll be sure to get some extra practice in before our next hand to hand session."

"Good man," Hiccup patted Fishleg's back, just before the youth climbed onto Meatlug.

"In fact, I think I'll go practice right now."

Hiccup and Astrid waved as the pair flew off, then Hiccup turned to the blonde beside him. "_What_ was that?"

"What was what?"

"Why did you tell him I felt useless?"

"Don't you?"

"No!" He flushed. "Not...all the time."

"Good, because everyone feels that way, Hiccup, and you should never give into such feelings."

He rolled his eyes at having his words thrown back at him. "And all that...that nonsense about not feeling fear?"

"Well, you don't really." She stepped closer, started to make a small braid in his hair. "Not the way the rest of us do."

"That isn't true!"

"Sure it is. You aren't afraid of Screaming Deaths or being capture by Alvin." She pulled an extra piece of twine from her pocket and wrapped secured his new braid. "You're more afraid of being in a room full of your own people, or..." She smiled sweetly. "Kissing your girlfriend."

"I...I...First! I am not afraid of being around other Vikings!"

"Then why were you so afraid of going to the Ostara Festival."

"I wasn't afraid! I just didn't think it would matter that much and..."

"And the kissing part?" She moved to his other side and added a small braid there.

"I...I have kissed you!"

She held up two fingers. "Twice. Once on the night of your party, as a thank you, and the second the day after, to prove a point."

He gaped at her. "That...That isn't..." He pause and considered it for a moment and realized she was right. "I...I just..."

She sighed, heavily. "You know, any other girl would think that you didn't want to kiss her."

"But I do!" He was sure his face was about to burst into flames at any moment.

"Then why don't you?" She met his gaze. "Well?"

"I..." What could he say? Astrid was always the one to initiate a kiss, always. He just wasn't sure when or how he ever should. "I'm just used to...you kissing me, Astrid. I never know when you will and...and it's kind of...of interesting that way."

"That's cute, but it doesn't explain why we're still not kissing."

He finally realized what she was after. "Oh for..." All this just so she could make out, he thought, but he was smiling as he lowered his lips to hers.

"You know, Astrid?" he said when they parted. "Sometimes, you're a real pain in the..."

She grabbed his shirt front and quickly tugged him in for a deeply passionate kiss. "What were you saying?"

"No idea." he sighed, as she nearly kissed him senseless. He leaned his forehead against hers. "I thought such mockery was beyond us now?"

"Are you kidding?" She grinned and slid her arm through his. "It just gives me permission to do more."

"Oh, well...that...that's just wonderful."

"So, I was thinking we should get to the hall early for dinner."

"Er...okay. Why?"

"So we'll be finished before sunset."

"Ah, is that how it is?" He grinned at her, bemused.

"Yep."

They climbed onto their dragons and Hiccup smiled. "So, dinner and a ride at sunset it is Milady."

Astrid nodded then shot him a teasing look. "Maybe if you're lucky, there will even be fireworks."

She took to the sky before Hiccup could respond.

"Wait!" He jumped flew up after her. "What does that even mean?"

She laughed and urged Stormfly to go faster.

Encouraged, Hiccup gave chase. Stormfly couldn't outrun Toothless, there was nothing faster than a Night Fury, so instead Astrid relied on skilful manoeuvres and sharp turns to avoid him.

They accidentally buzzed several villagers in their pursuit, wove in and out of the rocky pillars off shore.

Hiccup could feel the excitement building inside him as he heard Astrid's laughter filter back toward him. "Give her a bath, boy," he said as they shot down over the water.

Toothless delivered a blast into the water just ahead of Stormfly, so that when they flew through the resulting spray both dragon and rider were soaked.

"Hiccup!"

"You looked hot!" he grinned back. "Just helping you cool off!"

"Playing dirty hey?" Astrid shook the water out of her eyes and urged Stormfly upwards into the clouds for cover, managing to sneak behind them. "You're so predictable, Hiccup!" she taunted when the Night Fury zoomed past and Stormfly shot a playful burst of fire close enough that Toothless had to veer sharply to the left.

"Predictable, huh?" Hiccup clicked the tail adjustment. "Dive, Toothless."

The Night Fury dove in a high-speed, dangerously steep angle, then veered off through the trees.

"That won't save you!" Astrid promised and gave chase.

They wound in and out of the forest, Astrid's view was blocked occasionally by the foilage, but she still had her eye on the streak of black ahead of her and so, when she was suddenly yanked off of her dragon, she cried out in surprise.

Stormfly looked back to see her rider dangling from a pair of hands that hung from a tree, but had been going too fast to stop.

Astrid stared up into Hiccup's smug, laughing eyes as he hung upside down over a large tree branch.

"So, who's predictable?" He grinned down at his squirming girlfriend, and seconds later they were both riding on the back of the Night Fury, who had circled around to fly under and catch them.

"That's cheating!" she cried as Toothless landed near Stormfly and they both slid off, laughing.

"There are no rules when you ride a dragon." He slid his arms around her waist. "Now, explain."

"Nope." She wound her arms around his neck. "You'll just have to wait and see."

"That's not nice, Astrid."

"No, but the fireworks will be."

He shook his head at her, then let her tug him down for a kiss


	10. To Tell Or Not To Tell

_HTTYD Characters not mine. Just a quick note based on a guest review- Snotlout is Hiccup's, cousin, not Astrid's and he has been hitting on her since the first movie. Enjoy and please, please review._

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**TO TELL OR NOT TO TELL**

Stoick glanced at the exhausted face of his son as Hiccup dropped down at their dinner table. "Rough day, son?"

"I feel like Meatlug's been dancing on my brain." Hiccup accepted the block of ice his father offered to him, closing his eyes at the small relief it offered when placed against his temple.

"Well, a good night's sleep and a full belly will help with that." Stoick set a plate of fish in front of Hiccup and a tankard of water.

Hiccup grunted.

"So." Stoick settled opposite Hiccup and started to cut his fish. "I had an interesting day."

"Mmmm?"

"Yes. I had a long discussion with Spitelout Jorgenson about his son's future."

"Dad, we've been over this, I've tried to lose Snotlout when we're out flying, but he just keeps finding his way back home."

"Not that kind of discussion," Stoick chuckled. "Snotlout is of age now, and his father has petitioned to find him a wife."

Hiccup set his iceblock down and took a bite of his fish. "Yeah, good luck with that."

"He's requested I speak to Fin Hofferson."

"Well, Mr. Hofferson is..." Hiccup stopped eating as he realized what his father was saying. "Wait. What? Astrid? Spitelout wants Snotlout to marry Astrid?"

"She's seventeen now, son, and isn't spoken for. Usually her parents would have arranged something when she was young, but after they died...well, Fin is her only existing guardian now and it would be up to him."

"B...But Astrid?" Hiccup felt the fish he had just eaten try to climb back up his throat. "She hates Snotlout, Dad! Well, maybe not hate but she...she doesn't love him...I mean...She'd never want him for a husband!"

"Well, now, love usually comes after the marriage, son."

"No!" Hiccup rose from the table, agitated and caused Toothless to rear up in concern. "You can't do this to me!"

Stoick lifted an eyebrow. "To you?"

"I...I mean, to...to Astrid, to us...to...to our team. It would make things awkward and...and not...it would be wrong, Dad. Just wrong!"

"Come now, Hiccup, Vikings marry and still work together all the time. I'm sure that it won't impede your training."

"But, she'd never agree to it and..."

"I'm sure she'll do what's best for her family, Hiccup. Astrid is loyal to our traditions and she'll make the right choice."

"Even if it makes her miserable?"

"Have faith, son. It's just at the talking stage right now, anyway." Stoick finished off his meal. "She deserves a future outside of preparing for battle, Hiccup. She deserves a good man and a family of her own."

Hiccup slowly dropped back into his chair and pushed his supper away, no longer hungry. "I...I guess you're right, Dad." If she got married, had children, where did that leave him?

Stoick watched the changing expressions on his son's face and tried not to sigh. Usually he didn't discuss marriage bids with anyone but the parties involved, but since he knew this would directly affect his son, he had to give Hiccup a chance to speak up. His boy and Astrid were the perfect match, yet neither of them would admit to it.

"We should probably be considering a wife for you, as well, Hiccup. You're the same age as Snotlout."

"Yeah, sure." Hiccup rose feeling as if his whole life was about to shatter. "Good luck with that too."

Stoick scowled, he hadn't meant to upset the boy. He was trying to encourage him. "Aren't you going to finish your meal, son?"

"I'm not hungry." Hiccup started up the stairs.

"Hiccup?"

He paused midway and looked down at his father.

"Isn't there anything you'd like to say to me, son? Do you...maybe have a girl in mind?"

"In mind for what?" Hiccup sighed.

"For marriage, son!"

"Why bother? Apparently choice doesn't matter." Hiccup, unable to contain himself darted up the stairs. He threw himself on his bed, reached up and plucked the toy dragon from the headboard and fiddled with it.

So, what did he do now? If Astrid married Fishlout...He shook his head. _Snotlout_, everything would change. Everything. His father was right; she would do what was best for her family, even if she didn't agree with it. Could he stand to see them together, Snotlout and the woman he loved?

Surprisingly, for all his faults, and they were legion, Snotlout was considered a good catch. He came from a good family, was strong and fearless and firmly set in the Viking traditions. While his arrogance was hard to stomach most days, they would probably be considered a good pairing.

But Astrid had said she loved _him_, and he loved her, so, so much, but... What could he, a hiccup, a scrawny kid with a peg leg offer someone like her? And marriage? Neither of them were ready for that! By Thor, they hadn't even told anyone that they were anything more than friends, despite their recent development.

He didn't want to tell anyone because it would change things. She'd be ridiculed for choosing the village joke over the more heartier Vikings, like Snotlout. Or they'd accuse of her a political advantage, because he was the Chief's son.

They didn't say it to his face anymore, because of Toothless, because of his father, but they still talked. He knew he was still viewed as a disappointment because he wasn't like Stoick.

She had wanted to keep it private as well, she hadn't wanted how people viewed them to change. And it would, she must know that or she wouldn't have agreed with him to not tell anyone. And now, now because no one knew about them, his father was going to accept a marriage bid from Spitelout for Astrid.

No! He jumped up. "I have to warn her." He knew it was against the rules, the bride to be was supposed to be told by her guardian, but he couldn't _not_ tell her. "Come on, Toothless."

Toothless and Hiccup jumped out the window and flew off.

Stoick, hearing the sound of the departing dragon, smiled. "Finally!"

Astrid was startled by the sound of a gentle thudding against her bedroom wall. She rose from where she had been making notes for tomorrow's training session and moved to her window, surprised to find Toothless balanced on her roof and Hiccup beckoning her.

"Care to for a moonlit ride, milady?"

They had already watched the sunset together, so she was both surprised and pleased that he had wanted to be with her again so soon.

Hiccup took her hand to help her balance and a moment later her arms were squeezed around him as they rose into the night sky. It was a magnificent full moon, and seemed almost to be touching the Earth as they flew by it. They flew around the island and then across the moon again.

"Oh, Hiccup," she sighed as she rested her chin against his back. "It's amazing. Thank you."

Hiccup allowed himself to lean back against her, enjoy her closeness and warmth. "You're amazing, Astrid."

She flushed happily. "You really know how to turn a girl's head."

"I hope so," he murmured, running his fingers across hers linked over his stomach. "Astrid?"

"Hmmmm?"

"I have something I need to...to tell you."

Sensing his concern she pulled away from him a little. "What is it, Hiccup? Is something wrong?"

"No. Well, not wrong just..." He growled inwardly and tried to figure out how to tell her that she might have to marry Snotlout. "Um...you and...and Snotlout seem to be getting on...better lately."

She shrugged. "Well, I don't want to kill him as often but I wouldn't necessarily call that getting along." She smirked and squeezed his waist. "Maybe I'm just a happier person lately and so his nonsense doesn't bother me as much."

Hiccup closed his eyes, wishing with all his heart that it were true and that them being together was the cause of her recent happiness. "Astrid, you...you know I love you."

"Mmmmm, and I love you."

"Right. Good, and...and I think our...uh...relationship has progressed very nicely."

"I agree."

"But, we are both still young and...and...well." He sighed and cursed himself. How did he _do_ this?

"Hiccup." She pulled back even further, let her arms drop from around his waist. "A...are you...are you breaking up with me?"

"What-what? No! No, Astrid! Gods no." He bit his lip and directed Toothless to land in the cove. He and Astrid slipped off and he took her hand, reassuringly. "No, that isn't what I'm saying at all."

"Then what are you saying?"

He sat down, pulled her down with him. "Astrid, we...there comes a time when we...all of us have to...to look to our future. You know, think about things other than battles and dragons."

"Like what?"

"Well, like...like um...settling down and...having a...a family."

"Okay." Astrid's stomach knotted in excitement. This was it! He was going to ask her!

"Well, sometimes...er..." Hiccup plucked up some grass and studied it, rather than meet her gaze. "Sometimes we don't get to...to chose who...um, who we...we..." Oh Gods! He couldn't do this! It was against the rules to tell her that she was going to marry Snotlout, but if he didn't she'd never forgive him for not warning her.

Finally, he released the news in one long ramble. "My father said that he's been asked to arrange a marriage between you and Snotlout."

Astrid stared at him, blinked, then started to laugh.

"Astrid! Astrid, I'm not kidding! Spitelout has put a bid in for you for his son."

She gaped at him. "But...but I don't want to marry Snotlout!"

"I know! That's why I'm telling you this, why I'm warning you." He dropped the grass, picked up a rock. "Maybe...maybe we can run away? Maybe we can go live on Dragon Island or...or something and..."

"Hiccup!" She stared at him in disbelief. There was an obvious solution out of their dilemma without either of them having to leave Berk. When he only stared back at her, bewildered, she growled and rose. "Really? That's your solution, to run away and destroy our family honor? And then what, Hiccup? What happens to us then?"

He scrambled to his feet, surprised that she was so angry. "I...well..." He hadn't really thought that far ahead. "It was just an option, Astrid. I mean, if you refuse him without someone else in mind you'll be a labelled difficult and that could destroy your family's name just as much."

How in Thor's name could he be so dense? Did he really not understand what was required here? Maybe he didn't want to marry her? Maybe he actually didn't love her the way she thought? She turned away and moved back to Toothless, who seemed upset that they were arguing again.

"Well, I guess I'll just have to marry Snotlout, won't I?"

"Astrid!" Hiccup hurried over and caught her by the waist before she could get back on the dragon. "I'm trying to think of something! I didn't expect this to happen or..."

"Why? Don't you think anyone would want to marry me?"

"O...of course they would!"

"Just not you." She wrenched herself away and climbed onto Toothless. "Take me home, Hiccup. Now."

Hiccup stared at her, trying to digest her words. "I...Astrid, please." He placed his hand on her leg. "Please, we need to talk about this."

"What is there to talk about? You're giving me the choice of running away, leaving my home and my family, or marrying Snotlot. There is no choice."

"No, we...we can figure this out, together, we can..."

"Together!" She jumped off Toothless with such fury and hurt that tears stung her eyes."Are we together, Hiccup? You won't let me tell anyone, you haven't even told your father, and because of that I'm faced with marrying someone I can barely stand to be around!"

Hiccup backed up in defense. "I...I just...Astrid..."

"Do you love me or not?"

"Yes! Of course! More than anything!"

"Then there is an obvious solution here, isn't there?"

"Astrid!" He gaped at her in fear and shock. "We're only seventeen!"

"We're of age, Hiccup. We're not children anymore."

"But...but you, if we...I don't want you to be hurt, Astrid."

Her anger started to cool as she saw the complete misery in his eyes and she sighed. "Oh Hiccup." She stepped towards him, took his hands. "You've got to stop thinking you're not worthy."

"It...it's a really hard habit to break," he admitted, ashamed.

"I know it is." She put her hand to his cheek, watched as he pressed against it. "But you are respected now, you are loved. I love you, your father loves you, Gobber loves you and you know that Toothless loves you. Who else matters?"

He stared into her eyes. "No one," he admitted quietly.

"Look, I'm not pushing for a proposal, neither of us are really ready for marriage, but if you'd just let me...at least let your father and my uncle know that we're together, then they'll respect that and any marriage bids will be out the window."

He touched her face, mimicking the placement of her hand on his. "It isn't that I haven't thought about it, Astrid, about us, together that way, forever, but I..." He showed her his other hand, how it trembled. "I don't know how I can possibly be a chief let alone a...a husband."

She caught his hand, knowing that so little scared her brave Hiccup. "I know it's scary," she admitted. "But even if we ...Hiccup, there is no rule that we have to announce we're together and get married tomorrow. You know that, right?" He nodded, slowly. "So, let's just go talk to your dad and to my Uncle and get this properly sorted."

He nodded again, and when she started to walk away he pulled her back. "I'm sorry, Astrid."

"What for?"

"I don't know what I'm doing, or...or who I am!" He released her and moved towards the pond. "Everyone has such high expectations of me now, I...I preferred it when they didn't."

"You don't mean that, Hiccup."

He turned. "I do. Even you, I...I'm not sure what you expect of me. Obviously I'm out of my depth in this relationship because you...I didn't have the courage, the forethought to see what we needed to do, you had to tell me."

"No, Hiccup. It isn't..."

"You were expecting me to propose, weren't you?" He moved closer, his eyes filled with guilt and sorrow, saw the truth in her eyes and then turned away again to pull his hair. "Gods! I'm an idiot! I'm so utterly deficient I couldn't even do that right!"

"Stop!" She caught his shoulders, turned him to face her. "Hiccup, we're both...this is new to both of us."

"But I hurt you. I hurt you by not saying what you needed me to say, by not realizing a solution that was right in front of me."

"It's fine! We've been over it now. It's okay!"

"No. No it's not."

Toothless watched the scene with a sympathetic curiosity.

Finally, after several long moments of silence he caught her by the waist and lifted her up on Toothless. "Let's go home."

She nodded, waited as he mounted the Night Fury and wrapped her arms around his waist. "It will be okay, Hiccup. I promise it will."

"I'm so sorry, Astrid," He'd hurt her, he'd hurt the woman he loved.

He'd find a way to make it up to her, some other way, but he just wasn't ready to propose, to cement their commitment. He wanted to finish the map and there were so many other places to see yet. What if he had to leave for a long time to do that, was it fair to make her wait for him to return? Or if she decided to come with him, was it fair to keep her away from Berk, from her family?

Also, while he believed she loved him, Astrid could change her mind, or she could fall in love with someone else. He could get killed fighting Dagger or one of their other enemies, or, Gods forbid, he could lose another limb and then she would be stuck to honor their pledge.

There was so much at stake, so much that could go wrong when you considered marriage. Marriage was for life, for life and he had only recently discovered he had a life; that there was something outside of being the Chief's son and living on Berk. No, he just wasn't ready for marriage. But to tell the others of their courtship, yes, he could do that. He would do that for her, at least.


	11. The Reveal

_Okay, so here is the next part, hope you like it, this stuff is just pouring out of me for some reason and sometimes that is not a good thing so let me know if not up to par. Thanks to those who reviewed my last chapters, much appreciated and hope you will do so again._

* * *

**THE REVEAL**

The following morning, Stoick was seated with Gobber in the Great Hall, having breakfast, when Fin Hofferson stepped up to them.

"Chief, a word?"

"Certainly, Fin."

"Your son kept my niece out half the night, last night," the older Viking stated as he settled across from Stoick. "Now, I know they're both responsible for the village and all, but since there were no attacks and Astrid never told me she'd be on night patrol, I want to know what your boy is up to?"

Stoick frowned. He had noticed that Hiccup had been out late, but it was hardly half the night, and as his son had been so upset previously he hadn't said anything. He'd suspected that Hiccup might have gone to talk to Astrid, and didn't fault him for it.

"I'm sure he had a good reason ..."

"He'd better. I won't have Astrid getting a reputation, Chief. I don't care who's son she's with."

"Here now, don't let your imagination run away with you," Gobber suggested easily. "All the kids have been out at night before, on patrol or for some other reason, but it's always to train or patrol and all in the name of defending Berk."

"Hiccup would never do anything to dishonour Astrid." Stoick added. "My boy thinks the world of her, you know that."

Fin grumbled a bit but conceded. "Jorgenson said you wanted to talk to me about something?"

Stoick hid his irritation; Jorgenson knew better than to interfere in such things. "I did yes, but now is not the time."

"Why not? What's it about?"

Hating that he was now on the spot, Stoick pushed his plate away. He couldn't lie but he had hoped that Hiccup would come to him and tell him something that he would allow him to dismiss the bid altogether. "Uh...well now, you see..."

"Dad."

All three Vikings turned to see Hiccup and Astrid standing at the end of their table, holding hands.

Stoick had to refrain from jumping up and doing a dance, especially at the wide-eyed look on Fin's face. "Yes, son?"

"Astrid and I wanted you to know." Hiccup tried to steady his breathing as he started to shake, but Astrid squeezed his hand and he regained control.

They had stayed out riding probably longer than they should have, but Hiccup simply hadn't wanted to go home. When he finally did drop Astrid off, knowing he couldn't keep her out all night without an explanation, they were both tired and had gone to bed in their respective homes.

That morning, as agreed, they met at the forge, and then headed to the great hall to reveal their relationship to their relatives. Neither had managed much sleep.

"And...and you, Mr. Hofferson," He continued. "T...that we...we..."

"Go on, son," Stoick encouraged. You can do this, Hiccup. You're a man now, the man Astrid has chosen. You can do this.

"Mr. Hofferson, I...I'd like permission to...to court your daughter." Hiccup swallowed, hard. "Sir."

Stoick beamed at him then turned his attention to Astrid's uncle, who was now scowling.

After a long, tense moment Fin rose and stood over them. "Is there a specific reason for this sudden request, Hiccup?" he demanded, quietly. "The reason you were out all night with my niece, perhaps?"

"I had her back by one..." Hiccup stared at him, confused, and then flushed as he realized what the older man was implying. "What? What! No! No!"

"Uncle Fin!" Astrid gasped.

"No we were just talking," Hiccup assured. "I just needed...um...wanted to talk to her! We...we just talked, that's all."

Okay, there were a few kisses, but certainly nothing as shameful as Fin was suggesting, and his intentions had been honorable. He hadn't asked Astrid to go for a ride to make out, he had needed to talk to her about the marriage bid.

Fin nodded but continued to scowl. "I understand you and Astrid are among the defenders of Berk, Hiccup, and sometimes you have to be out at all hours or overnight, but Astrid is still my niece and I should be consulted if she will be away from home that long."

"Y...yes, Sir, of course. I...I wasn't thinking. I'm sorry and it won't happen again."

"Uncle Fin, please stop torturing him. We've both been up most of the night discussing this. Don't make it harder."

"I have to be sure he's a good match, girl."

"I love him. Nothing else matters."

Fin seemed surprised by her admission. "Love isn't the only thing to consider, Astrid. If I agree to this..."

"You have to. Please, Uncle Fin.

He crossed his arms over his chest and glared down at Hiccup. "And you? What do you say to this? What promises can you offer me?"

"I...I..." Hiccup glanced at his father, who waved his hand encouragingly then at Astrid who just smiled up at him. Keeping his eyes on her face. "The only promise I can, Sir. To love her with all my heart and to make sure she always comes back to you."

Gobber wiped a tear from his eye as Fin continued to scowl. "Ach, stop tormenting the lad, Fin!"

Fin's wide face split in a grin and he grabbed both young people up in his steely grip. "Good answer!" He hugged them both, hard, and then dropped them back on the floor. "You have my blessing."

Astrid threw her arms around her Uncle as Hiccup reached for a chair to steady himself, whether it was the stress from the ordeal or the relief it was over, he felt lightheaded.

"And you certainly have mine as well!" Stoick rose, bent low to kiss Astrid's cheek. "About time you two made up your minds."

She grinned and hugged him. "It wasn't easy," she said. "Your son is very stubborn."

"Uh...I can hear you," Hiccup managed. Spots...he was seeing spots.

"I know it." Stoick assured.

"Ach yes," Gobber agreed rising to also give Astrid a hug. "So stubborn in fact that he refused to cry when the midwife smacked his wee bum when he was born."

Hiccup groaned and wondered why he never noticed that the floor was lopsided. "Can still hear you."

Stoick patted his son's shoulder, while keeping the poor lad from falling over. "Let's take a walk, son."

"N...now?"

"Just a quick one." He bent low and whispered in Hiccup's ear. "Best not to faint in front of everyone."

"Yeah..." Hiccup mumbled, gratefully. "Good...Okay."

Astrid smiled at Hiccup, kissed his cheek, and then turned back to her uncle.

Stoick steered Hiccup outside and patiently waited as his son dropped down on the steps and took several gasping breaths. "Better?"

He nodded weakly and ran his hands through his hair.

"I'm proud of you, son. I know how hard that was for you."

"I feel sick."

Stoick chuckled and settled his bulk beside his son. "It's normal, trust me. Now, son, I know you know what you're doing and you would never do anything inappropriate. You have always been a gentleman with Astrid,"

"Dad, I know the rules." He put his hand to his heart, was it still beating? "I'd never embarrass you or her."

"I know, I know." He put his hand on Hiccup's shoulder again, "But now, is there anything you...er...need to ask me?"

Hiccup stared at him, blankly. "About?"

"Oh you...you know." Stoick scratched his ear, then clapped his hands behind his back and paced back and forth. "About...about er...relationships and...and..."

"Oh!" Ah, there was his heart beat, just needed a jump-start. "Ah, No, no, Dad I'm...I'm good."

"Because if there is anything..."

"I can't really think of anything..."

"Men and women are..."

"I'm p...pretty sure I can figure..."

"And you have to..."

"I'll keep that in mind..."

They stared at each other with a mixture of embarrassment and relief. "Right. So. Good." He patted Hiccup's back. "Good talk son."

"Y...yeah. Thanks, Dad."

"Well, let's go you some breakfast. You must be starving after being out all night."

"Ah...you go ahead. I'll...I'll be in shortly."

"Okay, son."

Stoick stepped back into the hall and Hiccup put his head between his knees trying to quell the queasiness that was threatened to overtake him.

"Get a grip," he told himself. "It wasn't that bad."

He took several deep breaths and was so focused on them he didn't hear Astrid come out and settle beside him.

"You gonna be sick?"

He glanced at her and shook his head. "No. No I...I guess I just didn't expect it to...to go so well."

She rubbed his back. "You see, you were all worked up for nothing."

"I guess so." He straightened and regretted it as the village below blurred before his eyes. "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For being such a hiccup."

She grinned and wrapped her arms around his waist. "But Hiccup's are my favourite." She kissed his cheek then took his hand. "Come on, I'm hungry."

He nodded and slowly rose. Maybe he just needed to eat, he hadn't had anything since late last night.

They settled at their usual table, with Snotlout and Fishlegs; the twins weren't in yet.

"So, what was all that hugging about?" Snotlout asked as he scooped up his eggs.

Astrid glanced at Hiccup who shrugged. "Hiccup and I are,, officially a couple."

Snotlot's fork paused halfway to his mouth as he gaped at them.

"Oh that's great!" Fishlegs jumped up from the table, pranced around and hugged them both from behind. "My two best friends, a couple! This is amazing!" He plopped down by Astrid, almost knocking her and Hiccup from their seats from the sudden distribution of weight. "Tell me everything!"

Astrid grinned. "There isn't much to tell. We just..." She glanced at Hiccup, reached for his hand under the table, then turned back to Fishlegs. "It just happened."

"This is so _awesome_!"

"I don't see what the big deal is," Snotlout stated as he finished off his eggs. "You've seen one courtship you've seen them all."

"Oh, Snotlout! This is a big deal!" Fishlegs insisted then to Astrid. "Oh, can I be in the wedding?"

"Woah, hey, hold on there, Fishlegs!" Hiccup said and again his stomach somersaulted. "We're just seventeen!"

Astrid grinned and in a stage whisper to Fishlegs said. "Don't say the M word, it freaks Hiccup out."

Fishlegs giggled as Hiccup blushed.

"It does not freak me out."

"Of course it does."

"No it doesn't. I...I just don't see the need to rush into anything, that's all."

Astrid met Fishlegs gaze and he grinned knowingly as the twins sauntered up.

"Hey!" Fishlegs greeted. "Guess what? You'll never guess! Guess what?"

Ruffnut dropped tiredly onto the bench next to Snotlout and her brother followed in the same fashion. "Alvin cross dresses?"

Fishlegs blinked. "Uh...no."

"Oh! I'm getting a Screaming Death egg for my birthday?" Tuffnut said hopefully

Hiccup sighed. "Not happening. Ever."

Tuffnut pouted. "Aww, man."

"Snotlout cross dresses?" Ruffnut snorted and was promptly knocked off her seat by the Viking beside her.

"No, nothing like that!" Fishlegs insisted, gleefully. "Astrid and Hiccup are courting!"

Ruffnut picked herself up off the floor and waved a hand. "Well, of course they are."

Yeah," Tuffnut pouted. "I thought you were gonna tell us something unfathomable." He paused when everybody looked at him in shock. "That's right. I said it."

Astrid squeezed Hiccup's hand under the table as if to say, 'see, you were worried for nothing'.

He offered her a small smile and took a bite of his food, but found it difficult to chew.

Snotlout rose and grabbed his plate. "Well, I'll leave you _ladies_ to fuss and gossip," he said. "I have a man's work to do."

"Oh, so you're going back to bed?" Astrid retorted.

"No, he's going to do laundry."

"Maybe he's going to finally learn how to tie his boots?" Fishlegs chimed in.

"Shut up, all of you!" Snotlout growled and flushed and stormed out.

"I don't think he's exactly thrilled by our news," Hiccup muttered.

"Who cares?" Astrid insisted. "He'll get over it."

Hiccup tried to smile and felt his stomach explode with pain.

"Dude, you're, like, almost green," Tuffnut stated. "Are you turning into a dragon, cause that would be so cool."

"Oh yeah!" Ruffnut agreed. "And you could be like the Horrendous Hiccup of Death."

"Shut up!" Astrid warned as she rose and leaned over Hiccup. The twins were right his skin did have a green hue to it and his lips were turning blue. "Hiccup!" She cried over her shoulder. "Chief! Something's wrong!"

Stoick rushed over, along with Gobber, Fin and several others.

Hiccup had tried to rise and collapsed on the floor.

"Get Gothi, now!" Stoick ordered and the twins rushed to obey. "Hiccup? Son, what it is? Where do you hurt?"

"Stomach." Hiccup winced when Gobber lightly pressed on his abdomen. "Oh, Gods! It hurts! It r...really hurts!"

"Have you eaten or drank anything unusual in the last twenty four hours, son?"

"Fish...last night." He struggled to think, but couldn't remember if he actually ate much of it. He shook his head. "I...I had a piece of...the cake A...Astrid made, when..." His body contorted in pain and he gasped. "Got...back...home."

"The one I made last month from the Ostara eggs?" she asked.

He shook his head and struggled not to vomit. "One you...left on my...dresser...yesterday."

Astrid's eyes widened. "I didn't leave you a cake, Hiccup!" She met Stoick's steely gaze.

"Go," he ordered her and picked his writhing son up in his arms.


	12. An Unexpected Visitor

_Okay, so the whole poison thing was totally unplanned and I am still not sure how it slipped in there, but my muses like to mess with me every now and then, so there you have it. It took me a little while the to figure out who would and could poison Hiccup, and I just decided to go with the obvious choice._

_This chapter is much darker than the others and more violent, but I hope you enjoy it just the same. Will probably only have one or two more chapters after this and then it will be finished. I also realized I was spelling another character's name wrong so I have adjusted that.  
_

_Thanks so much to those who regularly review, it is very much appreciated. Please read and review to let me know your thoughts. Hopefully I am doing the characters not mine.  
_

* * *

**AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR**

Stoick and Toothless started up the hill to their house, supporting Hiccup between them as he had refused to be carried.

Toothless stopped just outside of the house and started growling.

"What is it, boy?" Stoick demanded, pausing.

The dragon put himself between them and the door.

"Gobber!"

Gobber accepted Hiccup's weight as Stoick put his hand on Toothless' head.

"Let me see."

Toothless continued to growl, as the chief slapped the door open.

Inside Dagur the Deranged stood by the fire, a knife to Astrid's throat. Two other Berserkers stood with him, cross bows aimed at the party. "Well, it's about time you two showed, we were beginning to worry."

"Astrid!" Hiccup cried; his fear for her transcending his own pain.

"Oh, where are my manners?" Dagur waved them inside. "Come in, come in. Let's all sit down and have a nice visit, shall we?" When Toothless stepped two feet inside and opened his mouth in warning, Dagur nicked Astrid's throat so that a thin line of blood slid down her skin. "Even you're not that fast, dragon."

"Toothless, no." Stoick ordered and stepped inside with Gobber and Hiccup following.

"Close the door, hooky, won't you?" Dagur said to Gobber, and after a moment's hesitation the blacksmith did so. "Good, let's keep this a private chat."

Hiccup noticed the cake that had been on his dresser was now in the middle of the floor, as well as several items off the walls, obvious evidence of a fight. Astrid's hands were bound behind her; she had a bleeding lip and an eye that was slowly turning black.

"You bastard!" He lunged at Dagur, but he was already so weak that his father and Gobber easily pulled him back.

"Hiccup, stop!" Astrid pleaded as she watched her boyfriend struggle against Stoick and the blacksmith.

She had found the cake upstairs with a note signed with her name, but she had not written it. She had taken the cake and had intended to show it to Lars, who knew about poisons, but Dagur and his henchman had taken her by surprise when she came back down stairs. She'd fought, but having no weapons they had over powered her.

"You poisoned my son!" Stoick growled, and had to grip Toothless by the saddle harness to keep the dragon from advancing.

"Why yes, yes I did, but I do have an antidote and if you're very, very nice to me, I'll give it to you."

"No," Hiccup whispered. "No, he won't. Don't...don't listen..."

Stoick knew his son spoke the truth, but he couldn't risk their lives and he certainly wasn't about to watch his son die in front of him. "I should have killed you in the arena when I had the chance."

"Yes, you really should have, but you apparently have your son's sentimentality. You both lack a thirst for blood." Dagur grinned. "I, like any real Viking, do not have that problem."

"Let's step outside then and we'll see who is lacking."

"Sorry, chief, that isn't part of the plan."

"Afraid, Dagur?"

Dagur's face turned livid for an instant, before he calmed himself. "I see what you're trying to do, Stoick, but you won't spoil my fun. Hiccup and I have some unfinished business. He owes me, and I'm here to collect."

"You...are not...getting...my dragon," Hiccup refused. He would kill Dagur first, by Thor he would!

Stoick whispered in his ear. "We have to stall, son. We sent for Gothi and the others will come."

Great, thought Hiccup, more lives would be put at stake. Think! Gods, if only he could.

"Oh, the Night Fury? I'm over that now. I have a much bigger prize in mind."

"Then what do you want, Dagur?" Stoick demanded,

"What do I want?" Dagur laughed manically. "Oh, Stoick, this is about so much more than what I want. Now, now this is about what I _need_, what I _deserve_!" He screamed the last word, frenzied, then seemed to recover his calm again. "Now, first, first we're gonna make sure everyone is comfortable. Balder, Halvar, cage the beast."

His two lackeys moved toward Toothless with a large leather muzzle and a chain. The Night Fury promptly slapped them back and bared his teeth.

"Hiccup!" Dagur warned and pressed his blade harshly against Astrid's throat, causing her to cry out. "I will kill her. You may be able to get to me after, but she will be dead, I promise you."

Hiccup held Astrid's gaze, she was afraid. She wasn't showing it, but he could tell, he knew. His head was swimming, his stomach churning with pain and nausea as he struggled to think of a plan. He didn't want to see Toothless tied, but he couldn't risk Dagur hurting Astrid further. Gods, Gods! It was so hard to think clearly.

"T...Toothless. L...let him." The dragon's ears lay flat against his head; he looked at Hiccup and whined. "I...I'm sorry. P...please boy."

Toothless whined again and lowered his head, submissively.

The Berserkers slipped the muzzle over the Night Fury's mouth and pulled Toothless over to the side wall, where the chain was attached to a main beam.

"Now, dragon, don't try to pull that off," Dagur warned easily as he pointed to where the same chain was wrapped tightly around the main beam of the house. "Or you'll bring the whole place down on everyone."

Toothless looked at Hiccup forlornly and his rider met his eyes with a similar sorrow.

"Now, what?" Stoick snapped, knowing how hard it was for his son to allow his dragon to be bound. Hiccup was standing there dying, while Dagur played games.

"Why, have a seat, Stoick, and we'll discuss that." Dagur nodded at Gobber. "You too, hooky"

Stoick started to reach for his son so he and Gobber could ease Hiccup down into his chair.

"Oh no, he kneels on the floor."

"He will not!"

"Drop him or my hand might slip and this pretty girl's dragon riding career is over." When Gobber hesitated and looked at Stoick, Dagur screamed. "Kneel!"

Hiccup made the choice for them, pulling away from his father and Gobber and dropping to one knee in front of Dagur. "You...you don't have to hurt anyone, Dagur," he managed. "End this now, before you...you do something you'll regret."

"Hiccup's right, Dagur. This won't end well for you. You'll never get out of the village."

"Getting out of tight places has become a specialty," Dagur assured and nodded to Balder, who quickly bound Stoick and Gobber. "After I killed Alvin and escaped from Outcast Island..." He waved the dagger at Hiccup. "That was very naughty of you, Hiccup, to leave me there."

"You...threatened to kill my father...To kill me..."

"I was simply doing what Vikings do, taking from others to give to myself. But you, you and your precious dragon riders spoil everything!" Dagur became tranquil once again. "After I escaped I took a boat home to retrieve my armada, I couldn't understand why they hadn't blown Alvin to hell to retrieve me."

Hiccup had a bad feeling where this story was going, a very bad feeling. Dagur was obviously on the edge, he kept switching from a personable, if vindictive Viking, to a maniac. He realized they would all have to be very careful not to make him snap.

"I had intended to return to Berk and destroy all of you, of course, but imagine my surprise when I had learned the reason no one tried to rescue me. That while I was imprisoned by that treacherous leach, the Berserker High Council had stripped me of my rank as Chief." He waved his dagger at himself. "_Me! _The only grandson of Kragh The Krazed, the greatest, bloodiest Berserker of all time, and they think they can just throw me away? Banish me from the land I helped build, after all I have done for them!"

"Dagur," Stoick began realizing the Berserker was even more dangerous than before. "I'm sure we can talk to them. I'm willing to speak to the Oswald on your behalf and..."

"Oswald the Agreeable is dead!" Dagur screamed. "He turned against me, his son. His _son_! I am the Chief of the Berserkers! Me! Dagur the Deranged! " He laughed the laugh of the tormented, the unhinged, and just as quickly sobered. "Besides, it's hard to barter with dead men."

Everyone's eyes widened.

"What did you do?" Gobber asked, fearful of the answer.

Dagur shrugged. "I took a page out of my good friend Hiccup's book. I found that Whispering Death who had birthed the others, took me over a year, but I found her, and I captured her. After that, it was simply a matter of caging her in the underground sewers of my former homeland, then sit back and wait."

"The Screaming Death," Hiccup choked. "Dagur, you...you didn't. You couldn't have..."

"Oh, mommy was very upset and her baby boy was very, very hungry."

Astrid felt a sob rise in her throat. An entire tribe decimated. She couldn't imagine how anyone would have survived a dragon that eats islands whole. "You're a monster."

"Why thank you." Dagur pressed his lips to Astrid's cheek, watched her cringe and smacked his lips as he met Hiccup steely glare. "You're pretty sweet, too."

"Is that what you've planned for us then?" Stoick asked. "To destroy us and all the innocent women children..."

"No one is truly innocent, Stoick. You know that." He squeezed Astrid with his free hand. "Not even this one, right my pretty?"

"I _will_ kill you," she vowed.

"I do like a girl with spirit." Dagur was staring at Hiccup, watching how the Hooligan watched him, witnessing the fury in his pain filled eyes, the hate. He smiled. "It seems I'm not the only one." He roughly shoved Astrid at Halvar. "If she moves, kill her," he ordered, and then crouched down in front of Hiccup, tilted his head.

Hiccup was sweating, pale and shivering.

"Hurts, doesn't it? Feels like you've got dragon fire in your belly, burning you from the inside out." Dagur put his hand, almost tenderly, to Hiccup's stomach. "And spike beetles in your veins, tearing, ripping and feeding off what's left."

"Y...yes."

Was that what Dagur needed, to hear that he was suffering? He didn't care about himself, but he needed to get his family and Astrid out of this. They needed to warn Berk in case Dagur had the same fate in store for them as he did his own people. He had to believe that Dagur couldn't be that bad, that there was some humanity left in him, some compassion.

Hiccup realized that he was not above begging to find where it was.

"Dagur, please..."

Dagur touched Hiccup's shoulder. "Ssshhh. Ssshh." He leaned forward and gently kissed Hiccup's forehead. "You brought this on yourself. We could have been brothers, we could have conquered the world together."

Hiccup stared into the Berserker's eyes and realized, that the man was no longer just deranged; he had slipped over the edge into full madness. "We...we still can. We...we can be...brothers. I'll do anything you...you want just...just let my family go."

The stress, anxiety and fear rose inside him, mixed with the affects of the poison, Hiccup realized he could no longer contain it and he threw up.

Dagur sneered and stepped back to avoid the splatter. "Ah, you're already in the third stage. How much of that cake did you eat, you poor boy?"

Hiccup couldn't answer, he could barely speak.

"For the love of Odin, Dagur!" Stoick couldn't sit there and watch his son die! "You said you had an antidote! Well give it to him!"

"Ah yes." Dagur pulled out a small vile of blue liquid from his pocket, held it up to the light. "This would end your pain, Hiccup." He crouched on the other side of Hiccup and whispered in his ear. "What will you give me for it?"

Desperation and pain was dulling Hiccup's senses, making him feel fragile, breakable, but when his gaze turned to Toothless he knew that he wouldn't give him up, not to Dagur, not to anyone.

Filled with fear, humiliation and pain he tried to figure a way out of this. He had to save them, but his body was revolting violently and his brain was screaming in panic and fear that he was about to die; that they were all about to die. He couldn't even manag to push himself at his nemesis, he was just too weak.

Dagur kept his gaze steadily on Hiccups. "Don't you want it?"

Hiccup did want it, desperately, but he knew that Dagur wouldn't just give him the cure. He wanted something for it and Hiccup was too afraid to ask what the price would be. He would rather die than allow the people he loved to suffer any further harm or humiliation at the hands of Dagur, but how could you bargain with a mad man, a man who had committed the genocide of his own people?

He stared back at Dagur, slowly shook his head.

"Hiccup!" Stoick gasped.

Dagur's eyes widened, in respect. "I see. You'd rather die the hero, hey? I'm impressed." He rose, picked the cake up off the floor, broke off a piece and walked over to Astrid. "If you don't want it for yourself, maybe you'll want it for someone else."

And Hiccup's limited courage broke. "No!" He struggled to rise and was easily restrained by Balder.

Dagur smiled and turned back. "Oh, Hiccup. You're so predictable and so..." He lifted his eyes upwards as if searching for the right word. Finally, he sneered. "Weak."

"Don't..." Hiccup's eyes clung to Astrid's. "Please...Please don't."

"But if you don't want my cure..."

"I do!" Gods help him. "I...I do."

Dagur walked back to Hiccup, wiggled the vile. "Are you sure you want this?"

"Y...yes." He realized it could be a trick, that it could just be more poison that Dagur was offering, but he wouldn't allow Astrid to be poisoned with him by that damn cake.

"And you'll give me whatever I want?"

Hiccup's eyes remained on Astrid's, and he saw her denial, her plea not to give in, but how could she expect him not to? Did she really think he could watch her die?

He lowered his eyes, ashamed. "Anything," he whispered and watched his father's close his eyes and turn his head in disappointment. He felt the last vintages hope and pride shatter inside of him.

Gobber scowled as he tried to work through his bonds with his hook. Where the hell were Gothi and the twins?

"Good. So, let's play for it, shall we?" Dagur grabbed a chair and walked over behind Hiccup. "Here, let's get you off this dirty floor." He helped Hiccup rise and settle into the chair, then he pulled another chair out and settled directly in front of the chief's son.

Hiccup started to slide sideways, he was going numb; he couldn't feel his leg or arms anymore.

"Oh, Oh!" Dagur rose and steadied him, then said to Baldur. "Try to see he stays upright."

"He's dying!" Astrid sobbed as the Baldur's hands kept Hiccup to the chair. "Give him the antidote, Dagur!"

All in good time." He smiled and waved at her. "You see, Hiccup, I had a lot of time to think while I was Alvin's prisoner, about you, about him." He glanced at Toothless, then back at Hiccup. "I realized why you always managed to beat me. No matter what I did, you, Hiccup, managed to defeat me at every turn."

"Dagur, I...I'm sorry..."

"No, no. A warrior never apologizes, dear brother. But that was my problem, you see. I never really thought of you as a warrior, as an equal." He patted Hiccup's knee companionably. "I've accepted it now, and realize that the only way to finally put all this ugliness behind us, is for you and I to do battle. No dragons, no outside interference, just you and me." He smiled maniacally again. "To the death."

Toothless growled and tried to lunge, then stopped when the sounds of creaking wood and saw dust fell from above.

"Careful there, Night Fury, or you'll kill everyone in here."

Hiccup shook his head at Toothless, his gaze pleaded with his reptile friend. I'll get you out of this, he promised silently. I won't let him take you. Toothless settled forlornly.

"Hiccup is in no shape, Dagur!" Stoick protested quickly, knowing his son wouldn't last thirty seconds against the stronger Viking, especially in his current state.

"You wound me, Stoick," Dagur tossed. "I would, of course, insist on a fair fight. We are Vikings after all." He held up the antidote and looked at Hiccup. "You drink this, and you'll start to feel better in no time."

Hiccup stared at him. There had to be more to it, He had fought Dagur before, but he'd had his shield and Toothless, and even without the poison in his system, he honestly didn't think he could beat Dagur, he certainly couldn't kill him.

Dagur popped open the file. "Down the hatch, Hiccup."

Hiccup looked at his father, at Astrid and at Toothless. Astrid had tears streaming down her face and was shaking her head. His father simply met his gaze, leaving the choice up to him and Toothless, dear Toothless looked terrified at the idea.

He supposed it was a way to stall, until someone came looking for them, and why hadn't anyone done that yet?

Slowly, he opened his mouth and let Dagur pour the liquid inside. It had a strange, bitter taste, but he managed to keep it down.

"There you go. Don't worry, it's fast acting." Dagur lifted his knife and grabbed Hiccup's hand, slicing it before the young Berkian could do anything. "A blood bond, to seal the agreement." He cut his own hand, then gripped Hiccup's bleeding one. "Now," he said eagerly. "Now we are truly brothers."

Hiccup was starting to feel better, but rather than relief he simply felt like crying. He couldn't stop any of this. He couldn't do anything to change the outcome. He wouldn't die by poisoning but by Dagur's deranged hand.

"Let's...get on with it."

"Ahh, there's the old Hiccup we all know and love." Dagur accepted a piece of rope from Badhur and bound the dragon rider's hands. "We don't want to start anything until we get to the arena, right?" He grabbed Hiccup up by the shirt and hauled him to his feet. "Let's get this show on the road shall we?"

Hiccup had a moment to glance at his father, before Dagur threw open the door and all hope was lost. The Berserker Armada surrounded the island, and dozens of Dagur's men waited outside.

"No." Hiccup moaned desperately. "You said this was between us. Dagur you said..."

"Oh it is," Dagur assured as he stepped outside, pulling Hiccup with him. "I want your people to see when I kill you, so they understand who their new leader is." He half dragged Hiccup, who was still in a weakened state, down the hill.


	13. To the Death

I am sure most of you guessed who the perpetrator was even before you read the last chapter, and you are probably wondering how Dagur managed to get access to Berk without anyone seeing him. Well, one, he's deranged and he has done it several times before, same as Alvin. Two the six dragon riders can't be everywhere at once and the people of Berk are not the most observant, also proven by how many times outcasts and berserkers managed to smuggle into Berk. And three, everyone assumed that Alvin and Dagur were no longer a threat (See final episode of Defenders Of Berk, Cast Out )

Anyway, here is the next part, hope you enjoy it and again, please, please review.

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**TO THE DEATH**

Hiccup glanced around desperately as they marched to the arena, searching for his friends; Fishlegs, Snotlout, the twins. If they managed to escape there was still a chance. There was still...

No. They were there. His friends, the other dragon riders, they were in the seats above the arena where the rest of the villagers were being held with armed Berserkers surrounding them. Their hands were bound to the railings and they looked unhappily down at him. And from the sounds coming from behind the arena cages, their dragons had also been captured.

Dagur cut Hiccup's bonds then shoved him towards the center of the arena. He pulled his sword off his back, looked towards one of his men, then lifted the sword. A Berserker nodded, lit an arrow and fired it into the air.

Hiccup's heart stopped as he watched the arrow burn through the air, and then a moment later, a hundred burning hours flew from the outlying ships into the village of Berk. "No!"

Clouds of smoke began to billow down from the cliffs, the houses were burning.

Hiccup cried out, thinking of his family, of Astrid and Toothless trapped inside their house, being burned alive! He shoved Dagur off his feet to run for the entrance, but a dozen Berserkers stood there and muscled him back into the arena.

"We had a deal, Hiccup," Dagur said, calmly, ignoring the cries of the villagers as they watched their homes burn, and thumbed the edge of his sword. "We can't disappoint all your adoring fans. They came here to see a fight."

Tears streamed down Hiccup's face as he stared at the plumes of smoke and he felt something inside of him die. "Yes," he said softly as he accepted the sword a Berserker tossed at his feet. "We had a deal." In that moment, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III realized that yes, he could indeed kill.

He lunged in fury and was easily knocked back, but his pain was far worse now than any poison, and he would not let Dagur leave this island alive. He would not let his father's people fall into the hands of a madman and a murderer.

Hiccup lunged again and again and again, and each time Dagur parried, blocked and shoved him back.

"Oh come on," Dagur waved at their captive audience. "You're hardly giving them their money's worth, Hiccup."

Hiccup went at him again, and this time got a slice across the arm for his trouble. As he fell once more into the dirt, his eyes met Fishlegs' from above. The dragon rider's gaze flickered to the shields on the far wall.

He had to pull it in, had to push back the anger and the pain. Even though he had grown since the last time he'd battled Dagur, he knew he couldn't win by brute strength. Dagur was too good, too strong, too deranged. He had to use his skills, his brain, his strategy,

He attacked, deliberately on Dagur's right side, forcing the Berserker to knock him into the dirt near the shield wall. He ripped down a shield, had an instant of regret that it wasn't his modified one, and turned back to Dagur with renewed purpose.

Dagur laughed. "Oh Hiccup, that won't save you."

"We'll see." He needed to bury his grief, focus his anger, and remember his training.

"Yeah! Kick his deranged ass, Hiccup!" Snotlout cried down.

Dagur thrust, and Hiccup blocked. Dagur thrust again, annoyed and Hiccup caught him in the chin with the edge of the shield; surprising him, but not stopping him. Another thrust, a parry and Dagur's blade sliced against Hiccup's shield, knocking the dragon rider down again, but avoiding a fatal blow.

He rolled out of the way as Dagur's sword swooped down a second time, and desperately searched the arena for something else he could use. He heard the dragons in their pens screeching to be set free and pounding against their sealed doors. The roar of the crowd above them, Dagur's men cheering for their leader, while the people of Berk screaming out for Hiccup to seek justice. He caught the horrific scent of smoke in the air.

Dagur cried out and charged as Hiccup regained his footing. Hiccup spun himself out of the way and caught Dagur on the back with his shield, knocking the Berserker forward. He brought his sword down, but Dagur was too quick, and their blades met.

"Nice try," Dagur sneered, rolling to his feet. "You're fast, but I'm faster." He thrust, parried and thrust with incredible speed, nicking Hiccup's cheek with the blade and slicing across his hip in another quick move. "This is how it has to be. You have to die, Hiccup. You've upset the order of things." Their blades met twice more and on the third, Dagur disarmed him and Hiccup's sword flew from his hand. "We could have been brothers!"

Hiccup shoved his shield down, caught Dagur in the stomach, then whipped it up to meet with Dagur's chin. "I'd rather be married to Snotlout."

Enraged, Dagur jumped up and chased after him. "You can't run forever!" he screamed waving his sword and laughing.

"I don't intend to." Hiccup ran out of arena floor and turned by the wall. He braced himself, lifted the shield to cover his face and upper body and barely managed to block the frantic sword as it came down upon him.

Dagur's horrific laughter filled the arena and the people of Berk cried out in horror and dismay, as he sliced his sword against Hiccup's shield over and over and over, battering the slimmer Viking down. "Oh, you're making this too easy! Too easy!"

Hiccup's arm was numb from the constant blows, and when he heard the shield crack, he dropped it and dove sideways, as Dagger's sword swept down.

The barrier across the dragon pen cracked halfway, and as Dagur realized in horror what had happened, Hiccup curled up as tight as he could to avoid the flying doors when Hookfang charged through.

Dagur screamed and scrambled back as the Monstrous Nightmare advanced. "We had a deal!" He screamed at Hiccup. "We had a deal!"

"That ended when you killed my family," Hiccup stated quietly, calmly rising and removing the barriers on the rest of the pens, freeing the other dragons.

When Dagur's men started to move down to help their Chief, they were overrun by the furious Vikings they had tried to tame.

Dagur swung his sword wildly at the advancing dragons, Stormfly shot spikes at his feet, making him dance backwards and sideways toward the center of the arena, until he was surrounded and Barf sprayed his noxious gas, making Dagur cough and choke.

"This isn't over, Hiccup! This will never be over!"

Hiccup picked up the cracked shield; it was one that Astrid had always used to practice with. She'd even painted it with a picture of Stormfly. "It's over, Dagur."

The dragon riders had reached Hiccup.

"Ah...Hiccup, shouldn't we?"

Hiccup remained silent and watched as the dragons surrounded Dagur. But not his dragon. His dragon, Toothless, was gone.

A familiar sound came over the air. What...what was that? He looked up, as everyone did, and his heart stopped as a plasma blast seared through the arena's opening and a streak of black flew inside.

"Toothless!" he cried, and something inside him lived once again. His eyes filled with joy and wonder as the Night Fury landed almost atop him, licking him everywhere the dragon's tongue could reach.

"Easy, boy," Stoick suggested, steering Toothless off his son as he hopped down off the dragon's back, followed by Astrid.

They were both blackened with smoke, but they were alive.

"Dad!" Hiccup threw himself at his father, found himself wrapped in large, familiar arms the size of tree trunks and cried.

"We're all right, son. It's all right now." Stoick hugged him hard, then released him so Astrid could take his place.

"I thought I'd lost you," Hiccup murmured as he clung to her. "Gods, I thought you were dead."

"No." Astrid felt her own eyes sting. She had been so worried that they wouldn't reach him in time, that Dagur would kill him before they got there, but here he was. A little battered and bloody, but, by Thor, here he was.

She stepped back and reached towards the Night Fury's back. "We thought you could use this."

Hiccup stared at his shield, then at her. "Aw, but I didn't get you anything."

Hearing that familiar wit almost turned Astrid to jelly. She grabbed him roughly by the shirt front and kissed him soundly in front of everyone. "Go get him," she encouraged quietly, proving her faith in him that he could by stepping aside.

Hiccup looked at his father, who nodded, then moved to where the dragons had Dagur pinned. He'd picked up Hiccup's sword and was cautiously waving both at the hungry looking beasts. They parted just enough for him, his father and the other dragon riders to enter the circle. Toothless stood beside his rider, and lifted his head proudly.

"We had a deal, Hiccup." Dagur glared at him, at Toothless, and then back at Hiccup. "You and me. No dragons. No interference."

Hiccup nodded. "Just you and me, Dagur." He waved his hand and Toothless stepped back, along with Stoick and Astrid. The other riders moved their dragon's back as well to the sidelines.

This ends now, Dagur."

Dagur laughed, delighted. "So you're ready to die, little man?"

"This ends now," Hiccup repeated. "If I beat you, it's over. You will go back to whatever hell-spawn spit you out and you will never bother us again."

"You'll have to kill me, Hiccup," Dagur advised in a sing-song voice, and tossed Hiccup the extra sword. "Are you ready for that?"

"I only have to defeat you." Hiccup amended and threw the sword away so he could use his shield with two hands. "And I will."

"You think your ornate shield will help you? It won't."

"Were you planning on talking me to death, Dagur?"

Enraged at the younger Viking's confidence, Dagur charged, his sword clanged off the Gronkle Iron of Hiccup's shield with enough force to make both Vikings vibrate from the impact.

Hiccup twisted then used the shield's catapult, which caught Dagur's chin and knocked him back. The Berserker scrambled up, recovered his sword and came at Hiccup again, this time his attack disarmed Hiccup, his body hit the ground hard and his shield flew out of his hand.

When Dagur came at him again, he released the shield's bolo, but Dagur sensed it was coming and stepped out of the way. Next came his cross bow, which only had one arrow and it was now aimed at the Berserker.

"Stop this now, Dagur. Admit defeat and leave us alone."

Dagur waved his sword menacingly. "To the death, Hiccup. Don't you understand what that means?" He advanced. "It means, this ends when I kill you."

Hiccup released his arrow and Dagur managed to deflect it with his sword, but the tip pierced his shoulder. Hiccup's eyes widened as Dagur cracked the arrow in half, leaving the tip and the other half of it imbedded in his shoulder.

Dagur moved like lightening and had Hiccup by the throat within seconds. "All out of tricks now, aren't you?"

"Not quite." Hiccup brought is knee up into Dagur's groin, and then his fist into Dagur's nose.

Dagur dropped his sword, doubled over in pain, but he was stunned only momentarily and was on Hiccup again like a rabid dog, his hands around the Berkain's throat. "I'm going to kill you now, brother. You fought well."

Hiccup desperately reached for his shield, which was just out of reach, as Dagur started his insane laughter again. He was starting to see spots and couldn't breathe!

Astrid and several of the other dragon riders started forward and Stoick ordered them back, then had to physically restrain Toothless. Hiccup had to do this, for Berk and for himself. If they interfered the armada would decimate them.

Hiccup eyes closed and he went limp, several people gasped, including Astrid.

Dagur scowled. "Hiccup?" He lifted Hiccup by the throat, shook him. "Oh come on! It can't be over already! I was just starting to enjoy this." Dagur loosened his hold and leaned down to hear if Hiccup was breathing, then howled as teeth tore through his ear.

The crowded cheered with relief as Hiccup shoved with all he had left in him, knocking Dagur off ,rolling sideways and reclaiming his shield.

"I will kill you!" Dagur screamed, scrambled to his feet, grabbed his sword again and attacked.

"Not today!" Hiccup block each frenzied blow, once, twice, and then a third. Finally, he ducked as the sword swiped over his head, and brought his shield up with enough force into Dagur's face that the Berserker flew backward and landed on the ground, unconscious.

He dropped the shield, and bent from the waist, exhausted and relieved as the crowds around him cheered. He felt Astrid's arm go across his shoulder and Toothless nudge his side.

He saw some of his people wrestling with Dagur's men, wondered how many ships were in the harbour, how much of the Berserker Armada had Dagur allowed to live? He knew it all needed to end.

"Berserkers! Listen to me!" he called out. "Listen to me!"

Most stopped fighting and turned to him.

"Your chief has betrayed you. He has killed your people, your family and your loved ones. He needs to be punished for this. He has brought dishonour to the Berserker clan."

A few listened, most dismissed him with words or gestures.

"We are Vikings, and yes we ride dragons, but that is because we no longer fear them. You don't need to fear them either." He lifted his hand and Toothless lifted his head to match, then nudged it affectionately.. "They are, in essence, a caring and forgiving species. We can teach you how to live with them, instead of in fear of them."

He paused and looked at his father who was beaming proudly. Stoick nodded, this was his show.

"Dagur has allowed his obsession for one dragon to bring your entire clan death and dishonour. He has betrayed you, all of you, and he must be made to stand in judgement!"

He could see that many of the Berserkers were not at all pleased with their chief, and perhaps had been too afraid to stop a mad man. He had to find a way to use that, use their doubt and fear to make sure Berk was safe from now on, but he had run out of words.

"This war ends now between our two tribes," Stoick stepped in and placed his hand on his son's shoulders. "You cannot afford to lose any more people, not after what Dagur has done to your clan. You need to go and find a new island, a new home. We, the people of Berk, will help you do that."

He could see that some of the Berserkers, were unconvinced, perhaps worried about their own safety after what had happened.

"We will not hold you accountable for the actions of a mad man. We will put this behind us and help you rebuild."

After some grumbling and thoughtful pause, the Berserkers slowly put away their weapons.

Stoick nodded, pleased, and then added. "But know this. If you ever try to war with us again, we will use our dragons to kill every last one of you that is left."

"Dad!" Hiccup stared at him in shock.

Stoick leaned down to whisper. "I had to say it, son. Dagur may not have been the only deranged one in the clan. They have to know the consequences if they do decide to start a war with us again."

Hiccup didn't agree but slowly nodded as he started walking towards the entrance with his father. "I'm sorry Dad."

"For what, son?"

"I...I know you were disappointed when I gave in to Dagur and took the cure. I saw you turn away."

"Hiccup! Son, what you saw was relief. Did you think I wanted you to die?"

"I...I..." Hiccup considered it for a moment. "No, I guess not."

"Trust me, had I been free I would have been pouring that stuff down your throat immediately."

"So you weren't mad?"

"Hiccup, you did what you had to do, and I am very proud of you."

"How touching."

Hiccup and Stoick turned just as Dagur leapt at them with his sword. Something flew past them, and then the Berserker seemed to freeze in mid-air, before suddenly dropping like a stone.

Hiccup's eyes widened as Astrid walked over and pulled her axe out of Dagur's chest.

"I told you I would kill you," she stated softly, then tossed the axe to Fishlegs. "Clean that for me, would you?"

The rest of the riders stared at her, stunned as she slid her arm through Hiccup's. "Let's go home."

Hiccup, still mildly in shock that she had killed Dagur to save him, reminded. "Um...we don't have one anymore. They were burned."

She shrugged as Toothless and Stormfly fell in step behind them. "We'll rebuild. It's what Vikings do."


	14. Love And Other Things

_Warning, this is the last chapter and a long one! Sorry about the mild change of venue in the last few chapters folks, we are back on track now, I hope. Please review if you likey. HTTYD not mine._

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**LOVE AND OTHER THINGS**

Astrid sat next to Hiccup in their usual spot on the cliff overlooking the water, watching the sun set. Toothless and Stormfly played behind them, occasionally disappearing into the brush, but always reappearing as they chased each other around.

She slipped her fingers into Hiccup's hair, a habit of hers now, and absently started to braid. Hiccup continued to stare straight ahead over the water, but she suspected he was too deeply lost in his own thoughts to notice the changing colors.

The village had been rebuilt, as it had many times before, adding some new enhancements and keeping some of the traditional ones, such as the dragon masts over the doors. The store-houses were well stocked for the coming winter and everyone had fallen back into their usual routines.

Most Vikings rose with the dawn for family chores, then breakfast for the humans and the dragons, and off to their perspective appointments and shops, or for the fishermen, out in the boats. Almost everyone had a job to do on Berk to help support the village and there was always lots to do, especially while rebuilding.

There was the occasional lull in the evenings for people to chat and visit, then came dinner, usually at the Great hall, although some would chose to eat at home; like Stoick and Hiccup often did. She believed that was mainly because the Chief got tired of constantly being asked to do things and so wanted to eat a meal in peace.

There had been far less Berserkers than had been feared, in fact almost all of the men that were on the island were all that were left, leaving just a few manning the boats and giving the illusion that Dagur still had his full armada. Only those loyal to Dagur had agreed to sail with him again, which were still several hundred men. They left their island home, and had been forced to watch helplessly when the Screaming Death Attacked.

Most claimed to have no knowledge that Dagur had instigated the attack by capturing the Screaming Death's mother and hiding her in the Catacombs beneath Berserker Island. When it was revealed after Dagur was killed, the majority of them quickly surrendered as the full realization that they had been following a madman.

They declined aid from Berk and set off on a quest for a new island in which to make their home, although Astrid didn't know how long they would last as there had been no women in what was left of the armada.

She suspected they would resort to their traditional tactics of raiding villages for women and loot, but as long as they stayed away from Berk, she really didn't care.

At last report, they had left the northern peninsula, which would easily put them several weeks away from Berk by boat. She was reasonably sure that they had no desire to return, not after Hiccup's defeat of Dagur and Stoick's threat to destroy them if they ever tried anything again.

So, everything was back to normal, but perhaps not everyone. Hiccup seemed different. He was still her Hiccup, still got frustrated with the twins during training, still dripped sarcasm when called for, and still kept everyone on track for what needed to be done. And yet, he was different. He seemed older, she supposed, and she hadn't decided if that was a good thing or not.

Ever since Dagur had forced him into battle four months ago, Hiccup seemed more preoccupied that usual. Despite their new treaty with what was left of the Berserker clan, and despite the fact that they had really had no issues of any kind with infiltrators or warring Vikings since, Hiccup still insisted they train six times a week.

She supposed it was a good thing, you never knew when an attack might happen, even in Peace Time, but she felt like he was pushing everyone way too hard. The other riders were becoming resentful that Hiccup now insisted on day patrols as well as night patrols, and they didn't like that he upped their practice time from three hours a day to five.

He also wore his new leather armour most of the time now, in fact she wondered if he also wore it to bed. She understood that he'd had a horrific scare, between the poisoning and believing that they she and his father, Gobber and Toothless had been burned alive in his house because of Dagur.

Thankfully, Gobber, who had remained silent throughout the ordeal, so as not to call attention to what he was doing, managed to free himself and them, just as the roof broke into flames. He got her and Stoick out, ripped the muzzle off Toothless so the dragon could blast himself free, and grabbed Hiccup's shield on the way out. Then they had rushed to the arena as fast as they could.

Poor Hiccup had been forced to face up to so many of his personal fears that day, having to fight for his life, for his people while thinking he had lost his loved ones. She knew he didn't believe he could be the kind of Chief their tribe needed, the kind that his father was, but despite that doubt and uncertainty he had taken up the mantle and did what needed to be done, as he always did. It still amazed her that after all his courageous feats, all the times that he had saved Berk and shown what a good Chief he already was, he was still in completely denial about his own leadership abilities.

He seemed to have survived the trauma well enough, Gods knew he had been through enough life and death situations that they now rolled off like water on a duck's back, but she suspected he was still feeling uneasy at the idea that he had almost lost his father. Whenever she looked at him, when he didn't know she was watching him, she saw the ghost of despair in his eyes; until he noticed her and just as quickly the look was gone.

He was working all the time, either in training, or flying patrol, and he had started accompanying and assisting his father with chiefly duties, without a single word of complaint, not even to her! That was very unlike Hiccup. He detested the political side of Chiefing, mostly because he didn't feel he could ever match Stoick's standards, and yet off he went every day with his father, did as he was asked, did as was expected without rhyme or reason.

Stoick's one complaint to her was that Hiccup did not try and assert himself at all, while dealing with their people. There were no sarcastic comments, no eye rolling, not one suggestion on how to do things differently. Hiccup simply did everything exactly as requested, and while he was delighted to have his son show an interest in what would one day become Hiccup's position among their people, Stoick admitted to Astrid that he missed his son's wit and contradictions.

The one good thing that Astrid had noticed was that Hiccup seemed to have finally accepted that he was worthy of having her as his girlfriend. He was far more open about their relationship, in that she could flirt or play around with him in public and he no longer became self-conscious, and he was more affectionate to her as well.

Unable to stand the silence any longer she spoke softly in his ear. "Where are you, Hiccup?"

He glanced at her. "Here."

"No. I don't think so."

He offered her an apologetic smile. "Sorry." He fiddled with a blade of grass between his fingers.

"What were you thinking about?" she asked. "The map?" Hiccup hadn't time to explore in months to add more islands to his world map.

"No," he said almost too quickly.

Astrid wasn't buying it. "Hiccup, I'm sure your dad can spare you so you can..."

"I was thinking we should let Fishlegs and Snotlout lead some practice missions," He decided suddenly. "In case either of us isn't readily available or incapacitated, they'll need to figure things out on their own."

Astrid tried not to sigh. She didn't understand why he didn't want to finish his map. It had been all he had talked about for over a year, at least before Dagur invaded. Every time she brought it up, he changed the subject, just as he did now.

She knew he wasn't afraid to leave the island, as they often did training far from Berk, but he did seem to be trying to make himself too busy. He was either training or with Stoick from sun up to just after dinner, then she usually didn't see him until the next morning.

They hadn't had any more moonlight rides, but she knew he was still riding Toothless, often late at night when everyone else was already retired for the evening. She had often seen him and Toothless streak across the sky from her bedroom window, just before she headed to bed.

Several times she thought about following him, but decided not to. Maybe he just needed to be alone, and obviously if he had wanted company he would have asked her along.

"Sure. Whatever you think."

Silence fell between them again and they watched the sky burn with reds, golds and magentas.

Finally, Hiccup spoke. "I wasn't thinking about the map, Astrid."

"Oh?"

"Yeah."

"What then? More training?"

"No."

Toothless?"

"No."

"Your dad?"

"No."

"Then what?"

He turned, met her gaze. "You."

"Me?" She would have called his bluff, but there was something in his eyes that made her believe him. "Really?"

He nodded and dipped his head to hide his smile when she blushed. She didn't do that often and it was always a private thrill for him when he flustered her, because Thor knew she did it to him often enough.

Turning her gaze to the braid she just finished, she looked at him beneath lowered lids. "Honorable thoughts, I hope?"

He lifted his eyes and pursed his lips, then waved his hand side to side.

She laughed, lightly smacked his arm and felt a pulse of pleasure ripple through her. He was getting a little too good at that. "Well, that's okay too."

"I was thinking how much I love it when you kiss me."

"That's a good thing to think about." She leaned forward and gently touched her lips to his. "Anything else?"

He dipped his head, shy again. "Yes, but it's probably something I'll get hit for."

"Whisper in my ear," she dared, delighted. "And I promise not to hit you."

He did and she gasped. "Hiccup!" She punched his arm.

"OW! Astrid! You promised!"

"I didn't expect that!" She laughed and rubbed his arm, then leaned in and gave him another slow, deep kiss. "Better?"

He nodded. "Always."

She leaned against his arm and sighed. They didn't get to be alone very often anymore, they were both so busy, but he still managed to make her feel appreciated. Little things that others might not notice, but she did.

He and Toothless would be waiting outside her house every morning when she stepped out, ready to begin their day together, and he always greeted her with a 'Good Morning, Milady.' He was there so often that her Uncle Fin had started asking him in for breakfast, and after a few polite refusals.

Hiccup finally accepted one day, and so now her mornings began with her, Hiccup and Fin eating at their table and discussing the plans for the day. Hiccup had kept his promise to her uncle, always letting Fin know when they would be leaving the island and an approximate time they would be back, or if they would be staying out overnight and who would be with them.

He had also started coming to the front door, instead of her bedroom window, to ask if she wanted to watch the sunset, which they tried to do a few times a week. To Astrid it wasn't as romantic, but she appreciated everything Hiccup was trying to do to put her uncle at ease.

"I think about you a lot too, Hiccup."

He nudged her, teasing. "Honorable thoughts?"

She giggled. "Most of them."

He smiled, then turned his attention back to the sea,

"What do you see when you look out there?"

He sighed, heavily. "Possibilities."

"Possibilities?"

He nodded. "The possibility of new lands, new dragons, new...discoveries."

She rubbed his arm, he was such a dreamer. How had she fallen for such a dreamer? "You'll see them all, one day. I promise."

"How can I? Everyone expects so much from me now and I wish..."

"What do you wish, babe?"

He shook his head, stared at the grass.

"Tell me."

"I don't want to hurt you. I don't want you to think that I...I haven't loved every...every moment with you, Astrid."

She swallowed the bitterness that gathered in her throat and pushed ahead. "You wish we weren't together?"

"No! Yes! No!" He rose, agitated and moved over to pet Toothless, keeping his back to her and needing the soothing sound of his dragon's purr to calm him. "I...I don't wish that, Astrid. I would never wish that I just...I wonder what...would have happened if I had just flown off on Toothless that night in the cove. What my life would be like now if I had followed my first instinct and Toothless and I were exploring at will, free of...of people's expectations, village politics and...and my father's legacy."

She rose and walked over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. "Oh, Hiccup."

"I mean, think about it. If I hadn't showed up to kill the Monsterous Nightmare,Toothless wouldn't have tried to protect me, so then Dad would never have found out about Toothless, and he would never found out about the location of Dragon Island. We never would have had to do battle and I would never have almost gotten everyone killed."

"No...No that wasn't..."

"If Toothless and I had just left, no one on Berk would be riding dragons and there would have been nothing for Alvin and Dagur to obsess about and we wouldn't have been constantly battling other tribes and..."

"And we'd still be killing dragons and they would still be killing us!" She caught him, spun him around to face her. "Hiccup, you can't possibly wish that. You can't possibly believe that was a better life, not now, not everything that you've done..."

He groaned and pushed away from her. "What I've done! What I've done!" He shoved his hands through his hair. "All I've done is lured insane and warring Vikings to Berk! All I've done is make our home a nesting ground for Whispering and Screaming Deaths!"

"You didn't do that, Hiccup! Alvin did that!"

"Because of me! Because he wanted the trainer of dragons..."

"So he could use them to conquer us! Alvin has always hated us, has always held a grudge against your father and no matter what you did or didn't do, he would have still tried attacking us. You know that!"

"And Dagur?" Hiccup demanded, fiercely. "All I had to do to keep the peace was to make sure he didn't see the dragons. All I had to do was convince him we still killed them, and instead I proved to him that we rode them, that we were friends with them."

"To save Toothless!" Astrid gasped, alarmed that his thinking had become so skewed. "Babe, no one blames you for that!"

Toothless, concerned for how upset his rider was getting moaned in distress and gave Hiccup a supportive nudge. The Night Fury was visibly upset when Hiccup gently pushed him away.

"No," he told the dragon, quietly. "I'm fine." He walked to the cliff's edge again.

Astrid stared at Hiccup, worried. She had never heard him talk like this before. "What is this really about, Hiccup, because you can't possibly blame yourself for every bad thing that has happened in the last five years?"

"I should have killed him!" Hiccup suddenly screamed into the air, startling Astrid and both dragons. He dropped to his knees and hung his head in his hands. "I should have killed him."

Astrid rushed to kneel beside her boyfriend. "Who, babe?" she asked, softly, afraid if she spoke any louder he'd go off again. She had _never_ heard Hiccup scream like that, never, and it had scared her.

"Dagur," he murmured through his hands. "I should have...killed him on...that night. That night on...Dragon Island, I should have killed him, but I was weak. Odin help me, why am I so weak?"

Astrid wrapped her arms around him, horrified at how much he was shaking. "You are not weak, Hiccup. You're the bravest person I know!"

He shook his head, rubbed his hands over his face and then let them drop to his sides. "He could have killed you. He would have...you and Dad and Gobber and...and only Thor knows who else." He took a shuttering breath. "All because I let him go on Dragon Island, and then I left him with Alvin without making sure he would be caged forever."

"Oh, babe." She rubbed his back. "It isn't your job to judge and deliver punishment."

"It will be. When I'm Chief it will be and how can I?" He looked at her and his face was one of torment. "How can I be Chief when I never learn? When I keep making these mis..stakes?"

Astrid felt like her heart was being torn from her chest when Hiccup's voice hitched in a sob, and she pulled him to her. "No. Oh, no. Hiccup! It won't be like that. You'll be fine. You'll be just fine."

Hiccup was ashamed at the hot, wet tears stinging his cheeks as he clung to Astrid. "I can't lose you," he whispered desperately and felt even more shame crawl through him because he couldn't contain his emotions any longer. What sort of Viking was he to sob so pathetically on a woman's shoulder, to admit to such horrific fear and doubt? "I c...can't make another mis...stake and...lose you."

Shaken to the core, Astrid tried to soothe him, but how could she make a promise that there was no way of keeping? They all died some day.

While it relieved and, secretly thrilled her that he cared so much, it worried her that he was so upset. Was this where all his anger and self-doubt was coming from, because he blamed himself what happened to them? He had almost died himself, and yet his only thoughts were for those he loved.

"I'm right here, Hiccup." She kissed his wet cheek and hugged him tightly. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I'm right here."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

His sorrow and regret was so palpable that she had to blink several times to dispel her own tears.

"Hush, now. It's okay. It's okay, Hiccup." She pulled back and steeled herself against his anguished face. She had to get through to him, make him let go of this self-induced torture he was inflicting on himself. "Hiccup, listen to me. No one blames you for what happened with Dagur. No one, and so you can't blame yourself either."

His eyes remained lowered, too ashamed after breaking down like that to meet her gaze. "Who else is there?"

"Dagur, or his father, or whoever decided to name him Deranged for Thor's sake!" She caught his chin. "Look at me, Hiccup." He slowly lifted his eyes to hers. "You're not Odin, Hiccup. You can't be responsible for everyone in the whole world."

"I know, I just..."

"Everyone makes their own choices, Hiccup. Everyone has to live with those choices, but you have nothing to be ashamed of. You are amazing, and kind, and giving, and generous and a fearless leader." She gently wiped at his damp cheeks with her fingers. "You are brave and bold, and so damn smart! And you're a great son and a great friend and a really, really good kisser."

He flushed and slowly smiled, knowing she threw that in there deliberately. "Actually, I think I need more practice."

She grinned, leaned in and gave him a quick kiss, then glanced at Toothless, who shuffled forward, hopefully and continued. "You're best friend is a Night Fury! Who else but you could deserve such a...a tremendous gift of friendship? Do you think the Gods give out such blessings to just anyone?"

Hiccup slowly shook his head. He loved Toothless, couldn't imagine his life without him. "No, I...I guess not." He sighed heavily. "Astrid, I...I know what you're saying seems...right, but I can't help..." He lowered his eyes and squeezed at his chest, as if he was pressing against a bleeding wound. "It...hurts so much, sometimes. So...so much I can hardly think to breathe from the...pressure."

"Then I'll just keep reminding you." She placed her hand over his, then took his free hand and held it to her chest. "Two heads are better than one, Hiccup, and so can two hearts be. I know it hurts, but let me help. Together we can handle that pain. Together we can handle anything."

He lowered his forehead to hers and they knelt quietly for a long time, just feeling the steady drumming of each other's heart beat.

"I'm so messed up."

She smiled. "Yeah, but I still love you."

They both fell silent for a long time, until the sky had grown dark and the night air blew cold against their skin.

Hiccup lifted his head and stared at her, with much clearer eyes now, and took both of her hands in his. "Astrid, I...I know I'm not much to look at, and I have parts..." He glanced down at his metal leg. "...missing. But if you're willing to look past that." Suddenly nervous, he paused again, found himself looking over her head to Toothless, who gave him a bob of encouragement.

"Hiccup, you don't have to do this."

"I do! I do, because I was thinking about you, I can't stop thinking about you and...and..." He stared at a spot on the ground, wrestling with his thoughts, his doubts.

Guessing his next reason, Astrid caught Hiccup's chin and turned his attention back to her. "You won't lose me, babe."

"It's not just that. It's...I want your breath to be my breath. I want...I want our hearts to beat in tandem, like they just did; only I want it to be always and forever."

Astrid's eyes filled.

"I've love you for so much of my life, but...You're a possibility I never considered, never dared hope for, and yet, here you are."

He cradled her face, looked at her with such love, such...wonder that it stole her breath away.

"I didn't have to fly away to find you, because you were right here, all along and I never knew..." His voice cracked with emotion. "I never knew that it was possible to be this happy, to feel this...this, Gods!" He took a steadying breath, not from nerves this time but from the overpowering emotions he was trying to express. "This intense need to see your smile, to hear your voice and watch you laugh. It...It's overwhelms me, Astrid, how incredibly eager I am to face every day knowing you're in it."

"Oh Hiccup." And the tears fell, Astrid didn't even bother to hide them, her heart was too full.

"Astrid, I want yours to be the first face I see in the mornings and the last one I see at night. I want us to watch every sunset and touch every cloud, together. I can't promise not to make mistakes and I...I don't know if I can live up to everyone's expectations, especially yours but I want to try, By Thor I really, really will try, if...if you'll consent to be my wife."

She stared up into his eyes, and her overflowed with love. "Are you sure?"

"Yes." And he realized he was sure, he did want Astrid to marry him, maybe not right at that moment, or even in the next few weeks, but eventually he wanted her as his bride. "Yes, I'm sure.

"Then yes. Of course, yes."

Hiccup blinked as if surprised by her answer, then another look of wonder filled his expression. "R...really?"

She nodded and released a watery laugh. "Did you really expect a different answer?"

"Oh, Astrid." He pulled her to him, pressed his lips to hers in an exquisitely gentle kiss. "I do love you." He rose suddenly, pulled her with him and swung her around.

They were both startled by a loud cheerful blast from Toothless, and then the dragon had landed on both of them, kissing them happily with his slimy, wet tongue.


End file.
